The Hunt
by Tormentum
Summary: When Draco failed the Dark Lord, what was his punishment? Who will he turn to for help now that he has no-one? Rated for future possible chapters. Not DH compliant.
1. Chapter 1

A/N] Just a little something I've been working on... might turn into something, might not! I hope so though.

The man, barely into adulthood, ran through the wheat fields with a loping grace. As he ran he kept looking back to observe something. A look of panic streaked across his face when he saw twitching from the fields or a noise that didn't belong. At the end of the field there was a large forest, the leaves a brilliant orange/yellow marking autumn in it's peak. As the man disappeared through two large trees, he lifted a pale hand from his dark robes and slashed a stick of dark wood through the air. Trees behind him began to topple and crash to the forest floor blocking the pathways through the forest. He seemed to know that this was a temporary measure and that whatever was hunting him would not be stopped for long.

Nearby, on a flat-top hill overlooking the fields two men stood watching their victim running through the woods. A third man on his knees was bound and stripped naked, shivering in the cold autumn air. He was forced to watch as the boy entered the forest. At the sight of the trees crashing to the forest floor, the snakelike man smiled. Voldemort turned towards a shimmering cage made from magic, where a dozen hunting dogs salivated.

"A good day for the hunt, eh my friend?" Voldemort's whisper carried over the light breeze to the naked man.

"My Lord -" He was silenced by his own screams as pain shot through his body.

"Hunt the boy. To the ends of the earth if you have to. Do not fail me," Voldemort hissed at the dogs. The dogs seemed emboldened by his threats and their snarls ripped through the air.

Voldemorts laugh was humourless and cruel. "Bring me his head." With a wave of his hand the cage was gone and the hounds flung themselves off the hill. "Your son will make a great victim. If he survives he will be free to leave my service, but your life will take his place. A bargain, if you will."

"He doesn't have a hope against magical blood hounds! Give him a chance, my lord, I beg you." The man's voice was barely a whisper and Voldemort appeared not to have heard him.

"Your son had a chance and he failed me. The Dark Lord does not give second chances." Voldemort straightened and looked towards the horizon. It was early evening and the sun was beginning to set. The hounds had reached the bottom of the hill already and had gained speed from their descent. "Severus, keep an eye on the dogs. We'll be at the Manor. Report when they have his head." Severus Snape nodded and turned on the spot, disappearing with a crack.

He kept running through the forest, never stopping. Even while running, he had magicked his silk robes into a black jumper and trousers, made of light but sturdy material to avoid snagging on the branches and forest floor. He hurtled through the forest at an alarming pace. When he came to a clearing in the forest, he already had a plan. He focused his mind on the complex wards surrounding his body, breaking them one by one. Anti-disapparation wards, dampening spells and other such magic kept him in the hunt. Voldemort had underestimated him. He had been taught Old and Dark magic- enough to remove the wards and keep him alive. At least; he hoped so. He knew that the tracer-tag placed on him for the dogs couldn't be removed, but he hoped that his deception spells had masked his trail.

"Point me," he said. His wand rose up from his hand a pointed away from the way he came. "London is east. At least, from most places it's east. If not I'll just have to travel the coast until I find a town." A howling came from the distance. "Merde," he whispered. The apparation ward would have to wait. He turned towards the east and ran.

* * *

><p>"Bombarda," he whispered. There was a shattering of glass and a window pane fell to the alley-floor in shards. He dropped into the bakery basement with a light thud. He had felt his deception spells falter just before he reached the small village and didn't have the magical strength to replace them and destroy the ward anchoring him to the Earth. Sighing, he moved to the bakery table, waved his wand over a bread roll, which promptly turned into a backpack and, scooping up other food from the stable, stuffed them in.<p>

Focusing inwards, the man felt the walls of the bakery shimmer and disappear and replaced with the stone walls that protected his mind. Voldemort had reduced his stone maze to rubble and planted the spells deep within his mind. Being a strong wizard, his magic usually brimmed around his mind making finding foreign magic difficult. Due to his depletion combined with the effect of the dampening spells, the anti-disapparation ward wasn't that hard to find in his barren mind. Drawing to him the last remnants of his magic he pushed it at the alien spell. With a painful crack, the magic collided and pain exploded through him. He was pushed out of his unconscious and back into the bakery nursing a headache. A wave of nausea washed over him and he passed out on the floor.

* * *

><p>His depletion was so great that he was not plagued with his usual nightmares. He hadn't been sleeping long when, "Wake up!" echoed sharply through his mind. Cracking open his eyes, he squinted; a small trickle of light came in from the tiny window. The room spun around him for several moments before he regained his balance enough to sit up. He looked around to find the voice's owner, but instead found two small vials on the table next to his bag, and a note with spidery handwriting on it. The vials' labels said "Blood Replenishing" and "Magic Restorative" on them. The man sniffed each vial before taking them, relying on his potions knowledge to know they weren't poison. He picked up his bag and the note that sat beside it. <em>Number 12, Grimmauld Place, London. <em>Recognition and memories swam into his mind.

_The old Black House? Why would I go there? _thought the man.

He put the note into his pocket and climbed back out the Bakery window. Waving his wand over the fallen glass, it responded to his magic and jumped back into the window frame. Sighing with content at having his magic back, he turned to leave the alley way and cursed at what he saw.

Two of the blood hounds stood at the entrance of the alley way. "**Putain**," he swore in French again. Glancing behind him and seeing there was no escape, the man assessed the situation.

_These dogs were raised by Voldemort. They were twisted and forged by dark magic. They're only a year old but larger than any dog.  
><em>

The dogs, themselves, were hideous beasts. Their eyes were a bright, crazed red. Ears and tail stood erect, waiting for their pray to move even the slightest step. Magically powerful hind legs told his victim that these dogs could run the country faster than he could.

_How long did it take them to get here? I could apparate. I don't know how fast these dogs are... I might not be able to leave before they get me. If they hang on then I won't be able to – No. Think Options.  
><em>

_Distraction.  
><em>

"SOLEM!" He shouted, flooding the alley way with light. It was still dark enough in the alley for the dogs to be blinded by light. What happened next was done within a few precious seconds.

_Destination -12 Grimmauld Place, London  
><em>

_Dedication- My life depends on it.  
><em>

_Deliberation!  
><em>

Turning on the spot, he felt the familiar squeezing of apparation. There was no pain , no beasts hanging onto him and he mentally rejoiced at successfully apparating under such intense conditions. Whatever was waiting for him at Grimmauld Place, he hoped his benefactor was there.


	2. Chapter 2  Battle at Number 12

Chapter 2 – Battle at Number 12 Grimmauld Place.

Harry Potter stood in the drawing room of Number 12, frowning at the table before him. He had been at Headquarters for nearly four weeks, having spent only the required period of 24 hours with the Dursleys. Mood and Tonks had stayed with him for that time and then spirited him away again before Voldemort had time to lay plans for his capture and defeat. The four weeks had been spent training with a variety of teachers. Tonks and Moody had been teaching him to duel like an Auror, Remus and Hagrid had been teaching him how to combat a variety of Magical Creatures and Bill and Kingsley had taught him how to curse-break and dismantle wards. Hermione, Ron, Ginny, Neville and Luna had been given similar but less rigorous training by some of the other members of the order.

He sighed as night began to fall on the old house which had begun to fall on the newly restored House. It had been restored by the painstaking efforts of Mrs Weasley and Dobby. They had redesigned the whole house into a "War Base", as Ron liked to call it, without the help of the house-elf Kreacher, who Harry had bound to one room in the House with perfectly worded commands. Hermione had deemed it cruel, but Harry had merely said his Godfather's name and Hermione's argument fell short.

Staring at plans, diagrams and reports was giving Harry a headache and he fell into the nearest chair. All of the furniture looked odd for a drawing room, the giant table and few chairs, but this room had been designated the "War Room". It was here that Harry had the first indication that this night would not be like any other. Just before Harry planned to leave, a flash of gold fire erupted in front of him, reminiscent of Fawkes' warning. Instead of gold plumage, Harry found a note written in uniform handwriting on it – too uniform, it had clearly been masked. It said: "Do not lock the Basement tonight."

Harry frowned at the seriousness of this note. On any other night, Harry would have ignored this note as odd, but unimportant. However, tonight was a full moon and Remus would be locked within the basement in order to ensure the safety of everyone in the House. Not locking the door meant that Remus would be able to escape and, without Wolfsbane, he would turn on everyone in the House.

Harry smirked; if this was the plan then it was doomed to fail. He and Kingsley had placed extra security measures on the house to ensure that Mooney wouldn't be able to go very far if he did escape the basement. It was a risk, but a calculated one… He had made his decision: he would do as the note advised.

* * *

><p>A crack filled the night outside Number 12, Grimmauld Place, London. A white-haired boy gasped in the night-air. He raised a thin stick of wood and brandished it about, as if it was a sword to protect him against the world. Draco Malfoy turned towards the row of houses before him. Focusing on his memories of the place, he began to see the house emerging from between the others. Just as he turned to go in, he heard a growling from one side of the street. Two of Voldemort's bloodhounds sat at the entrance to Grimmauld Place. Merdé, he thought, my diversion took them towards London. The lead one pounced as he raised his wand.<p>

He heard a crash from Number 12 as the door flew open and he was immediately filled with horror. A werewolf flew straight for him and he raised his wand. The werewolf, instead of hitting him, took down the pouncing blood-hound and clawed at his throat, knocking Draco to the floor in the process.

People flooded from Number Twelve after the werewolf, none of whom Draco expected. Harry Potter was the first to come out of the House, eyes flashing and wand raised. He was followed by a woman with bright pink hair who he didn't know, Kingsley Shaklebolt from the Ministry and, limping at the rear, Mad-Eye Moody who closed the door behind him and sealed it with a spell.

"Remus!" The woman called to the werewolf.

"Leave him, Tonks, he's as likely to hurt you as he is the hound. Let's get the other one and deal with him later!" Potter was rounding on the other hound, the other three followed him. The hound salivated at his new potential victims. There was a tense moment, where the two sides stood still, waiting for what the other would do. All they could hear was Draco's panting and the howls of animals as Remus fought the hound.

The dog was the first to move. It lunged at Kingsely and all four of them sent stunning spells at the hound. It dodged them with an elegant swivel in the air, rolling and landing on all fours. Harry's eyes widened at the manoeuvre and then narrowed in determination. This happened for several minutes: the four of them would cast spells at the dog and it would employ some tactical manoeuvre to avoid it. To an outsider it would seem that the hound was on the defensive, but Harry was aware that it was toying with them; waiting for one of them to make a wrong move so that it could break the line and get at its real prey. The one they had been sent for. Harry hadn't yet noticed who the boy lying in the street was, but with his leg bent in that unnatural direction, he wasn't getting up any time soon.

Harry was getting bored and annoyed that they were making no headway. As the dog rolled away from yet another of Tonk's spell, he blasted the ground at his feet and sent a ripple of power through the ground. All of them became unsteady on their feet, but the Hound, who had yet to land from dodging another spell, lost its footing and collapsed to the floor in a heap. Harry whipped his wand around again and lifted the dog into the air before he could get up and shouted "Now!" Spells of white lightning flew from the wands of Tonks, Moody and Kingsley and hit the hound. The dog whined and screamed in the night air, howling in pain. The light from their wands which had illuminated the streets began to fade and Harry let the hound's body fall from the sky. The charred mass of unidentifiable bones landed on the floor in front of them and Kingsley grimaced at it. Harry's shoulders sagged and he sighed. Then howls of pain, followed by a crunch reminded him that they were not finished. He whirled around, but the sight before him was not what he expected.

The hound lay on the floor, its throat a mangled mess of blood and innards and its body flat and crushed. Remus was bent in a hunting crouch and pounced for his next victim, the pale man on the street. Draco's eyes widened. He was unable to reach his wand, as he had been trying for the last five minutes to help in the fight. Just as Remus got to him a blast of silver shot over his head, hit the werewolf in the chest and flung him to the floor. The werewolf looked rattled, but angrier than ever. Harry strode past Draco and cast, "_Arget Incarcerous_!" A silver chain flew from his wand and, like a whip; Harry brought it down and wrapped it around the werewolf. The chain detached from Harry's wand and curled around the werewolf, who howled at the silver.

"I don't think I can hold it much longer!" Harry called to his friends. Kingsely and Tonks rushed to his side, casting their own chains to take him back into Number Twelve. "Be careful with him. Take him back to the basement. And get Poppy, he won't feel great tomorrow." When they got to the door, Ron, Ginny, Hermione, Molly and Arthur flooded from the house. Instead of crowding round Harry, as they usually did, they crowded round the man, all pointing their wands at him. Harry frowned.

"Who is it? Let me see," he said walking closer. When he saw who it was, he was taken aback. What was Malfoy doing here? Foolish boy, instead of asking yourself, ask him.

"Why are you here, Draco Malfoy?" he said, his voice calm and reasoned.

"I seek sanctuary from the House of Black." His voice was weak and he looked it, sat on the ground, his leg in a 45 degree angle from his body. The tip of his wand glowed gold at his words- the Sign of Peace.

The crowd looked confused and Ron snorted derisively. Harry sighed; this was going to make him unpopular.

"As Head of the Noble and Ancient House of Black… I grant you sanctuary. _Pax_!" His wand glowed gold and he touched it to the tip of Draco's wand. Their spell would make them incapable of fighting each other with magic.

"Harry! What the bloody-" Harry cut him off with a wave of his hand.

"Molly, would you bring him inside. Arthur, fetch Poppy, we'll need her earlier than expected. Everyone into the Kitchen." He tone broke no argument. As Head of the Order now, Arthur and Molly followed him without exception. His friends, however, would not be so easily swayed, but they waited for his explanation and went to the kitchen.

Harry waved his wand and the street righted itself. The road sealed itself, the bodies of the hounds disappeared and blood cleaned itself. Even Mrs Montenegro of Number 14, who stood at her window, gaping at the scene, forgot what she had been looking at. Harry sighed and prepared himself.

* * *

><p>In the few moments that Harry had cleaned up, an irate Ron had summoned the whole order in an attempt to convince Harry that he was being stupid. Fifty people now sat, cramped in the already enlarged kitchen. Draco was chained to a chair next to the head of the table and looked stunned. As Harry entered, there was uproar. Harry was about to silence everyone when an irate Poppy Pomfrey did it for him.<p>

"SILENCE! If I am going to be summoned at this time of night, the least you could all do is let me work. Be quiet and let the boy speak before you hound him." She didn't wait for an answer, but crouched down next to Draco's leg and began muttering spells of healing. Harry walked straight to food and sat at the head of the table eating. If he was going to explain himself, he though, he wasn't going to do it hungry. And it was going to be on his terms. In the corner of his eyes, he could see that Moody was getting angrier and angrier with his stalling. Harry wiped his mouth with his napkin. He waved his wand and the chains fell off Draco onto the floor. Another wave and he woke up groggily in the chair. Poppy moved away from Draco, his leg bound for now.

"Thank you, Poppy," Harry muttered. She nodded at him, gave him a small smile of encouragement and sat down.

"Ron, you seem to be at bursting point. Tell me what I've done this time." All could tell that he was tired and was in little mood for this. To Ron, this didn't matter

"How could you let him in here! He's a Death Eater and let the rest into school! You've really gone off the deep end now. He's the reason Bill is scarred." Molly flinched. "He's the reason we're losing this war! He's the reason Dumbledore is dead-"

That was it. Harry snapped and stood. "I am well aware of what he's done! You think I don't know?" Ron assumed this was rhetorical. "ANSWER ME, RON. DO YOU THINK ME INCAPABLE OF REMEMBERING WHAT I WAS A PART OF? I WAS THERE THAT NIGHT, NOT YOU."

Harry now spoke in a deathly quiet voice. Everyone in the room preferred the shouting. "I saw Snape kill Professor Dumbledore, yes." Draco gasped quietly. "But I also saw Albus Dumbledore offer to help Draco and his family. To hide them and to keep them safe. Did you trust Dumbledore?" Harry's gaze didn't waver. Ron sat down. Moody was not so deterred and nor was Professor McGonnagle.

"Mr Potter, what say you of the Blood Hounds? What if he sent them with Mr Malfoy to kill you?" She peered at him kindly but sternly. Harry realised what she was doing. She was asking the question that everyone wanted an answer to. If he answered it adequately, they would accept his decision.

"Voldemort doesn't need to send Blood-Hounds after me. He is aware of where I am already, but even if he were to turn up here himself he wouldn't be able to enter this property. There is more than the Fidelius charm protecting us," Harry spoke calmly and sat down. Everyone nodded. Everyone except Mad-eye.

"And what of the boy? What was he doing? Just because he failed his mission doesn't make him our friend. Filthy, low-life scum just like his father. Voldemort had no worth for him so why should we? Tell me, boy, what's your purpose here, eh? Come to murder us in our sleep. " Moody rounded on Draco who sat in shock. He hadn't moved and now that Moody came towards him, he began to rise from his chair. Harry put his head in his hand, his elbow resting on the table.

"You're not helping anything, Alastor. I will question Draco tomorrow, when we've all had some rest, with Hermione. Together we should be able to sort out this mess." Everyone murmured their agreement. Harry stood as everyone made their way to the fireplaces in the House.

"Draco?" Draco looked up at Harry, his face placid. "Come with me."

Draco rose from the chair and walked through the Black House with Potter. The walked upstairs in silence, instead of down, which confused him as he assumed he would be locked in a cellar or something. They came to a non-descript room- a bedroom within the house. Harry opened the door and motioned for Draco to go in.

"Dobby will bring you some clothes and some food." Draco nodded his thanks. "And Draco, I will also need your wand until this is resolved. And you'll be locked in here until the morning."

Draco paused for a moment. Then he nodded, drew his wand from inside his pocket and gave it to Harry.

Harry nodded and turned to leave. "Potter?" Harry turned back at the quiet voice. "Don't let anyone else have it, please? Keep it." Draco hated making himself look vulnerable, but he was a realist. He was vulnerable and at this point Harry was the only one defending him. Harry nodded and began to close the door.

"Thank you," he whispered. Harry didn't look back this time.


	3. Chapter 3  The Questioning

Chapter 3 – Questioning.

Harry woke up the next day feeling refreshed. He always felt this after training or a fight. First, a feeling of intense hunger and tiredness and then rejuvenation as his magic flooded back to him. Then he remembered what he had to do today. He first called Dobby and had him take food to Draco and ensure he had clothes to wear and somewhere to bathe. He then did all this for himself. Dobby was to take Draco to the study at ten am and notify Hermione that he was there.

Harry walked into the study at 5 minutes past 10 to find both Draco and Hermione already there. The study was arranged so that two chairs faced the chair that Draco now sat in. A small end-table was next to one chair with a bottle of clear liquid on it and a glass of water. A round stone also sat on the table. Hermione stood at the window looking out onto Grimmauld Place, a sad expression in her eyes.

Neither looked towards him as he entered the room, but Hermione must have registered her presence because she said, "Ron isn't happy about this, Harry."

"I'm not surprised, Hermione. What do you think?" He asked back.

"I don't know. I'm willing to listen to what he has to say." She turned from the window and strode round chairs to the end table, picking up the bottle. She measure out two drops into the glass of water. "Moody told us to use it sparingly, which means we have to finish this within the hour. We no longer have a potioneer with enough skill to make it. We're also running low on medical supplies."

"After today, I'm hoping that it will no longer be a problem." Hermione raised her eyebrow, acknowledging his plan with scepticism.

"Let's get on, shall we?" Harry turned to the one in the room who had sat silently through this exchange.

"Potter, is that veritaserum? You never mentioned that we would be using it?" Draco raised his arched eyebrows.

"It's the only way to ensure you're somewhat welcome here," Harry said softly. Draco's hard demeanour dropped immediately.

"Very well." He took the glass from Hermione and downed it. Harry sat down. They sat in a stiff silence, waiting the required time for the truth serum to work. Hermione took up the mantle, she didn't sit down in the vacant chair, preferring to stand, resting on the desk in the corner of the room. When Draco's eyes had glazed over, Hermione was satisfied and touched the stone with her wand. When it began to glow she began.

"Malfoy, why are you here?" She asked.

"I don't understand the question," he replied.

"Hm. Why did you come to Number 12 Grimmauld Place?" She rephrased.

"I broke into a bakery and fell asleep. When I woke up there was a note on the table telling me to come here," Draco responded mechanically.

"Do you know who the note was from?"

"No."

"Can you guess?"

"No."

Hermione sighed. "Why did you leave Lord Voldemort?"

"I haven't left," Draco replied.

Hermione's eyes widened and she reached for her wand.

"Wait," Harry said to Hermione. "You're asking the wrong question."

Harry took over. "Draco?"

Draco turned sharply from Hermione to Harry.

"Do you remember the last four weeks?"

"Yes."

"Tell me what's happened in the last four weeks. From the beginning, leave out no details."

Draco straightened in his chair as if this story was going to affect him. "NO!" His gaze sharpened and his eyes cleared. "No, don't make me tell that story. I'm- I'm not ready." Harry saw that his hands were clenched at his sides, his brown was sweating. It took a lot to break the spell of Veritaserum and emotional trauma was one of them. Harry mixed another glass of water and truth potion.

"Take this. I promise not to ask about more than the last 24 hours," Harry said stiffly.

"Harry, he must tell us what has happened." Hermione stood and crossed her arms.

"He's not ready! Forcing him to relive whatever it is may do more damage than good. Let him tell us what has happened to bring him here. You require no more than that."

"Draco?" Draco turned to Harry, his eyes glassy once more. Draco tell us about the last time you saw Voldemort."

"He came to the dungeons. He asked me had I ever been hunting before. I replied that I had. He then apparated me to a field. He gave me my wand and told me that I should probably start running. He laughed. I ran. I ran as fast as I could through fields of wheat until I reached a copse of trees. I could hear howls behind me as I ran. I transfigured my dirty robes into clothes for running. I ran until I hit a clearing. I dismantled the wards around my magic. I apparated. I broke into the bakery, I passed out. I woke up to find a note and two potions. Blood Replenishing and Magic Restorative. The note told me to come here." Draco told his story in short bursts, mechanically. Harry hated himself for admitting that he disliked seeing the usually eloquent boy speaking like this.

"You were kept in the dungeons of Malfoy Manor?" Hermione asked.

"Yes"

"What did they-"

"Hermione, enough. Don't go there." Harry knew that she wanted to argue, but steamrolled ahead. They sat there for the whole hour, gathering information from Draco. He didn't know a great deal of Voldemort's own plans, but instead they learned a lot of the Manor, Lucius and Draco's education at his hands. When Harry was satisfied that the younger Malfoy was not a threat he turned to Hermione.

"Is there anything else you want to ask?" he asked.

"Nothing more than what happened in the dungeons of MalfoyManor," she replied, tersely.

"Then we're done here," he said finally and stood. He tapped the glowing stone with his own wand and it faded. "Dobby!" he called out. The eccentric house elf appeared and looked expectantly.

"Please take Draco to the kitchen. Molly should be waiting with lunch." Dobby took Draco from the room. "What do you think?"

"Well he's clearly not one of them anymore." Hermione sighed picking up the stone and placing it into a case. "I agree with you. I don't trust him but we should afford him all the protection we can. Especially after this…" She handed him that day's paper.

The Headline read. "Wealthy Philanthropist beheaded and mailed to the Ministry"

A picture of Lucius Malfoy in the Ministry atrium was next to the story. Harry sighed.

"What do we tell him?"

"I've told everyone that there is not to be a copy of that newspaper in the house and not to mention it until you tell him," Hermione replied. "Come on, Harry, Molly's waiting for us."

The walked to the kitchen together to find it bustling and busy. Draco sat at the table between Bill and Charlie, a mask of indifference on his face. When Harry walked in he looked up from the steaming plate of food in front of him and caught Harry's eye. Draco's eyes pleaded for him to be able to leave the room. Harry shook his head slightly and Draco sagged.

Harry cleared his throat and the room turned to look at him. "Malfoy has satisfied Hermione and I with his answers. Alastor, the Reviewing stone is in the study if you wish to satisfy yourself." Alastor merely mumbled his agreement around his toast.

* * *

><p>At Grimmauld Place, days passed slowly for Draco Malfoy. Few people in the House would talk to him and even fewer talked to him civilly. He mostly confined himself to his room, speaking only to the House Elf that used to be a member of the Manor's household. Harry Potter had visited only once in the weeks since his questioning and that was to bring him potions equipment. Potter had asked him to make some of the more difficult potions that were needed by the order, it was the only thing he could do without the requirement of a wand. Draco was unsure if his potions ability was to the standard that Harry assumed it was. Severus had been helping him to become a better potioneer and he was gifted with potions. However, Draco didn't know if he could make the potions that Potter wanted; Wolfsbane, Polyjuice and Veritaserum. Draco assured him that he could make the polyjuice, but the other two would be a trial run. Harry had assured him that this was better than nothing.<p>

And that is how Draco found himself to be in his room two weeks later, hunched over a cauldron, stirring the precise amount of times necessary. His white blonde hair was pushed away from his face. It had gotten longer and fell in a thick layered style over his face while he tried to work. Every now and again, he would look up from a cauldron or his potion-book to push his hair behind his ears.

His room had transformed from the way it was when it arrived. His bed had been pushed to one side of the room and a long wooden table sat opposite. It had three cauldrons which bubbled and hissed and flames underneath them. Each cauldron held a different substance. The first held a clear liquid which stood still; it didn't boil, hiss or spit. This one was Draco's most dangerous one as, even though it looked calm, it was the most volatile. A stir in the wrong direction or too much of one ingredient would cause the potion to explode violently. The second held Draco's third attempt at the Wolfsbane potion. He had only a month to perfect the potion before it would be needed and Draco couldn't seem to get it right, despite the instructions he had. The last held a pitch black liquid, a potion of Draco's own making. It was a healing potion which combined the effects of Essence of Dittany and a magical restorative, two potions which had previously been incompatible even if taken separately. It would be revolutionary for the war; it would mean that a person could be healed quickly and then return to battle. As Draco stirred it anti-clockwise for the last time, he knew he had finished. The potion turned from the deepest black to the brightest white. He bottled and stoppered the potion smiling as he did so.

He had been working so hard that he didn't hear Harry come to the door which was open to prevent fumes from building up. He had been about to announce his presence when he had seen Draco stirring in the cauldron. He noticed Draco's hair pushed behind his ear, his tounge which poked between his teeth which he worked and his rolled up sleeves pushed up his slender, toned arms. What really surprised Harry was the smile Draco afforded himself when he stoppered the bottle of potion. He really was quite- Harry caught himself for thinking this way. When he realised he'd been staring, he tapped on the wooden beam of the doorframe and said, "Knock Knock?"

Draco looked up from the potion, mildly startled at the arrival. He gave Harry a small smile in welcome.

"Potter, I was beginning to think that you'd forgotten about me." Draco said, jokingly.

"With the amount of stick I've been getting for allowing you to be here? Not likely." Harry grimaced as soon as he said it. It wiped Draco's smile away and his indifferent mask appeared.

"I'm sorry to be such a burden," Draco replied.

"I didn't mean it quite like that, Malfoy, I don't regret it." Harry said, smoothly. "I came to see how you were getting on and if you needed anything?"

Draco softened when the talk turned towards potions. "We'll need lacewing flies for the Polyjuice potion. And I'm going to need more of the Wolfsbane ingredients. I have a feeling this isn't going to be a correct batch either." Draco sighed.

"I didn't mean about the potions, Draco. You're well aware that Dobby is there to get your ingredients." Harry smiled. "I mean, how are you?"

Draco was startled at Harry's interest in his own wellbeing. So startled he didn't realise he hadn't said anything til the silence got uncomfortable.

"I'm well, thank you, Potter. A little worried about my Mother and to some extent my Father. I've probably been disinherited at best. Though I have no need for Father's money now I've just created the potion you saw me making." Draco flashed Harry a smile again.

"Potion?" He asked, intrigued at what was able to make Draco so happy.

"A magical restorative and healing draught. Two incompatible potions made into one by me." Draco pointed to the pure white substance.

"Your potions ability is better than anything I expected," Harry walked towards the table to see the potion.

As if hearing his words, the cauldron with the Wolfsbane potion in it began to hiss and spit. The cauldron began to melt and in a great bang, dumped all its contents onto the floor. Draco sighed.

"Not good enough, apparently." And reached for the mop.

Harry waved his wand and the entire mess vanished. Draco gave him a nod of thanks.

"Don't worry too much. If you don't achieve anything by the end of the month, Kingsley and I will ensure Remus is locked away." Harry looked to the door as if hearing something. "I have to go now, Malfoy, but I'll see you at dinner?"

"I usually have dinner in here-"

"I know, but come to dinner. I have a surprise." And with that Harry left the room.

* * *

><p>Draco left his room that night. His palms felt sweaty as nerves got to him. He waited on the stairs and collected himself, ensuring his mask of indifference was in place before descending the rest of the stairs. When he walked into the Dining room, the whole room seemed to stand still. All heads turned to Draco. Harry was the last to turn his way and was the only one to offer a smile on his arrival.<p>

"I was beginning to think you weren't coming!" Harry joked and indicated the seat to his left.

Draco gave a tentative smile to him and sat down. All of the Weasleys, Lupin, Tonks, the blonde veela called Fleur, Granger and Kingsley were around the table.

"Draco, dear, help yourself to anything," Molly said tentatively.

"Thank you, Mrs Weasley," Draco answered, equally as cautious with his words. He wasn't really afraid of offending anyone but Potter, who held this woman in regard which mean he must be polite. He could feel the scowls coming from her two youngest children from across the table. He was going to have to make an effort, it was only dinner, he could handle dinner; he'd had many at the Manor and knew the art of conversation. Tactically, he looked around the table for another outsider like himself with something he could extort. The man Lupin had never liked him and the pink haired woman appeared to be his wife so there was no luck there…

Then it clicked. Draco turned to Fleur Delacour and spoke to her in French, "Miss Delacour, it is lovely to see you." Fleur, who sat opposite him, looked up from her food sharply in response to her native tongue. She smiled, surprised, and replied in kind, "'Allo, Mr Malfoy, I am also glad to see you well. However, I too am a Weasley now." And grasped bill's hand. Everyone in the room was staring at their exchange except Harry, who sat back in his chair smiling, recognising Draco's tactics, and carried on eating.

Draco careered on, before someone could stop the exchange. "Congratulations, I wasn't aware a marriage had happened within the Weasely family! Presumably, to Bill?" She nodded. "I'm delighted; love can bring such happiness during times of war."

Her laugh tinkled through the room causing most of the men, except Harry, Draco and Bill from sighing. "Indeed it can, Mr Malfoy. You seem well versed in the joys of love… what first-hand knowledge do you have of the subject?" She raised an eyebrow towards Harry.

"Wha-" he slipped back into English. Collecting himself he replied in French, "Potter and my relationship is strictly one of an… unconventional business arrangement."

She laughed again producing the same result. "I'm sure, Mr Malfoy. Know only that Veela are trained to recognise these things, even us with diluted blood." She smiled and turned away to talk to her husband.

Draco's wide eyes returned to normal and he chuckled to himself. He looked around and noticed that everyone was still staring. "She said something funny," was all he said to the confused faces. Everyone turned back to their dinner and conversation, realising they were being rude. Harry chuckled. Then he seemed to remember something.

"Oh, Draco, I remember why I called you down here." Harry pulled out his wand and waved it over an empty space on the table. His wand, the extension of his left arm, appeared on the table. He looked at Harry, confused.

"I'm returning it to you."

No sooner had he said this, Mad-eye went to grab the wand. Harry slashed his through the air and he was sent back into his chair.

"Alastor! My decision is final." Harry stood from the table. Moody grubled about being everyone being killed in their sleep, but made no further attempts to retrieve the wand.

"The people who are going on tonights raid, join me in the War Room. The rest of you, Good night."

The sound of scraping chairs and talking filled the room.

Draco grabbed Harry's arm as he went to walk past.

"Raid?" He asked

"Yes, Voldemort is planning something. We're trying to throw off his game by attacking one of his base houses. Plus I'm searching for something" Harry replied. Granger cleared her throat as if he'd said to much.

"Oh, Good luck then." Draco said, lamely.

Harry laughed at this, "Are you worried about me, Draco?" he asked with a raised eyebrow.

Draco mock-frowned and said "Just be careful. If you die, what is going to happen to me?" Draco waved his hand theatrically at the people in the room. "You'd leave me to this rabble?"

Harry barked out a laugh again. "You're right; I'll try to be careful. Night Draco." And walked out with the rest.

* * *

><p>AN} I don't usually write author's notes, but hey! Read and/or Review – delete as applicable!


	4. Chapter 4 Poison

It will become fine dust over all the land of Egypt, and will become boils breaking out with sores on man and beast through all the land – Exodus 9:9

Harry was hidden in the shadows of a small copse of trees overlooking the abandoned castle. Around him was 20 of the Order dressed in the darkest blue; long hair was tied back in tight buns and sweeping robes had been swapped for tight trousers and jumpers. Harry watched for any sign of movement and found none. Ron moved forward from the group.

"Harry, are you sure this is the place? It's abandoned, no lights, no movement?" he whispered.

"Voldemort was here a few hours ago. I could feel it. He's not here anymore, but something is. We need to find them Ron; it's the only way to kill him. Dumbledore told me that magic leaves traces… I can feel something here, something that makes my magic feel cloudy."

Hermione moved forward too, "Do you think magic might be clouding our sight?"

Harry pulled out his wand and began muttering long incantations. Hermione's eyes widened when she realised that the magic he was using was a form of Dark Magic. Waves of magic washed over the surrounding area until it hit a dome that encircled the castle.

"We've found the glamour spell. Kingsley and Tonks, bring it down." Harry's voice was a monotone as he said this.

They stepped forward from either side of Harry and let loose torrents of magic on to the glamour. The magic lit up the area and revealed the hard faces of the Order. Minutes passed and the glamour began to fail. What replaced the ancient, decrepit castle was one of splendour and majesty. Four great turrets surrounded the main castle; one of them was merely a shadow of the other three, stunted and lying in ruin. The main body of the castle was made from a black stone which blended into the night. Despite the amount of magic that had been used to destroy the glamour and the light it had caused, Harry knew that no-one inside had been roused due to the other wards placed on the house. Their wards kept sound and light out as well as in.

"Everyone knows the plan. We don't divert from it. Move in." Harry said, and the people behind him apparated to different parts of the forest around the castle, leaving Harry, Hermione and Ron alone.

* * *

><p>In truth, he was worried about Potter, Draco admitted to himself as he walked into his room. Feeling sleepless, be began to remake the Wolfsbane potion that had blown up on him today. The ingredients for the potion weren't easy to come by and, brewed incorrectly, could produce Aconitine instead; a deadly toxin which would paralyse the drinker before ten minutes had passed. An apt name then, The Queen of Poisons, Draco mused.<p>

It was also a potion subject to other mistakes. A wrong-way stir could turn it acidic or simply make it explode. However, the one which sat next to it was the most volatile of all the potions he had ever brewed. It never hissed, smoked or made any changes from the water it had started out as. Colourless, odourless and motionless, the potion sat deadly on the wooden bench. Until he added the last ingredient, it was poisonous to the touch.

As he was putting the finishing touches on his list of needed ingredients well into the early hours of the morning, Draco heard a crash from downstairs as the front door was flung inwards and a rush of voices could be heard throughout the house. Draco didn't investigate; he heard familiar voices of Granger and Weasley among the host of voices. However, investigation would also prove to be unnecessary when he heard the patter of light footsteps on the stairs and Granger appeared in the doorway. She was filthy, covered in soot and grime, her hair fell around her face where half had fallen from her bun – the ends were singed in places and deep blue clothes were burned in places, showing pale skin underneath. Other than this, she appeared unharmed, if dishevelled.

She didn't wait for Draco to speak. "Harry needs you downstairs. Now. He said bring your potion? I have no idea what that means but he said you would." She paused. "Well, why aren't you moving?"

Draco snapped out of his shock and grabbed the large stoppered vial filled with white potion and several smaller beakers. He followed Granger through the house, down the stairs and into the drawing room. It had been transfigured beyond recognition, several white hospital beds were now set up in a white room with no windows. Half of the ten beds were filled with people with flaming red hair and the rest with people that Draco didn't know. Madam Pomfrey looked up when he walked in the room and frowned.

"Harry seems to think you have something to help?" Pomfrey asked sceptically.

"That depends on what is wrong with them," Draco replied, not looking at her.

"They were attacked with some gaseous potion that caused boils and plague. The plague reaches into their magical core and turns it against them, killing them with their own magic," She replied, while performing diagnostic spells over a Weasley. Draco looked at the bottle of white potion in his hand. He was unsure whether his potion would work. It would try to purge the plague while restoring their magical core… however it could just feed the plague, thereby killing them faster.

He conveyed his fears to Pomfrey and her eyebrows rose. "I'm impressed that you managed to combine the effects of those two potions," she said shortly. Draco assumed this was the only praise he was going to get. "However, right now we have to take what we can get. Spells aren't diffusing the plague; they're feeding it – just as your potion might. If it begins to kill them, we'll drain it from their system as soon as possible. Otherwise, there's nothing we can do." Pomfrey sighed. Draco poured some of the white potion into a beaker and gave the rest to her.

* * *

><p>Some hours later, Draco walked into the kitchen at first light exhausted and aching. He pointed his wand at the kettle and the water within began to boil.<p>

"Morning, Draco," came from the shadow of the table that caused him to jump, his awry spell sending the boiling water all over the floor. "How did it go?"

"There you are, Potter," He said while clearing up the broken pot with a tired wave of his wand. "There's nothing more we can do, either they pull out of their comas on their own strength or they won't make it. Where have you been while we've been slaving away all night?" he asked, a snarky tone to his voice.

Harry just raised an eyebrow, "You think I've been doing nothing all morning?"

Draco sighed and finished making tea. "Sorry, it's been a long night."

Harry barked a short laugh. "You're telling me. Wanna sit down?" he asked, "I have something I need to talk to you about anyway"

Draco levitated the teapot and two teacups over to the table, sat down and poured himself and Harry a cup of tea.

"What can I help you with?" Draco said, bringing the cup to his lips.

Harry paused before he answered staring at Draco's lips pucker around the teacup. He mustn't think of Draco in this way, he told himself. Those kinds of feelings only lead to more pain. Shaking himself from his reverie, he answered Draco, "How is the Wolfsbane potion coming along?

"I've still failed to make headway on that front," Draco replied, sighing. "I'm assuming that Lupin can survive this month without it in the cellar?"

Harry nodded but said, "It's not Remus that I'm asking for. Something happened tonight for which we will need it very soon. But first I would like to explain what happened tonight? If you aren't too tired?"

Draco appraised Harry for a few moments, hiding his shock. He didn't expect Harry (or anyone for that matter) to care enough to tell him what happened. He knew that Harry trusted him, or so he said, and yet Draco did not expect to be trusted with actual information, even if it was trivial.

He raised an eyebrow "Are the rest of the order happy that you're telling me this? And no, I'm not too tired to hear it."

Harry laughed again, but his smile did not quite reach his eyes. "They know that I need your help, and that I don't deserve it without explaining why, and my mistake. So here goes:

"Just after we'd broken the wards, I sent everyone off to their entrance point, and we began to move in to the castle where I had known Voldemort was just hours before. Everyone's mission was the same; find known targets for extraction and questioning, except Hermione, Ron and I, who had to find the object we were searching for. Which brings us to my first mistake. As Team 1, 3 and 6 entered, they triggered traps which released the curse that you tried to save them from. Fred, George, Bill, Charlie, Arthur, Tonks, Dedalus, Dorcas, Fletcher and Neville all went down within five minutes of the attack. Half of our force was taken out before we even set foot in the door. It was dust. That's all it was, all we thought it was. Within a few minutes they had all dropped to the floor gasping for breath.

Which is where I made my second mistake. I didn't call off the attack, I demanded that my grief-stricken friends enter the castle as planned, disabling the traps as they went. Even worse, the further we went into the castle, our communication spells stopped working. Ron, Hermione and I proceeded with the mission, assuming that everything was going as planned, that the Death Eaters had been drawn to the east and west of the castle, allowing us to enter through the North entrance unexpected. I changed this at the last minute from the south entrance, just in case we they also knew of our coming.

And at last we reach my third mistake: I deviated from the plan. The north entrance took us past the entrance of the dungeon. We heard screaming. Without thinking I ran down into the dungeon and was sickened by what I saw. Greyback knelt over a young boy of no more than 4 and was feasting on the poor boy despite the lack of the full moon. I was overcome by disgust and it reminded me of that night on the astronomy tower." Harry turned to Draco, from where he had been reciting the story in a monotone. "Yes I was there, Draco, hidden and bound with magic. And so was Greyback. You remember what they said?"

Draco's eyes widened as he remembered.

_Pleased to see me, Dumbledore?_

_**No, I cannot say that I am… Am I to take it that you are attacking even without the full moon now? This is most unusual… You have developed a taste for human flesh that cannot be satisfied once a month?**_

_That's right, shocks you that, does it, Dumbledore? Frightens you?_

_**Well, I cannot pretend it does not disgust me a little.**_

"I can see it in your eyes, Draco, you're horrified by that prospect just like I am, just like Dumbledore was. Perhaps then you can understand what I did next. Using dark magic, I pulled Fenrir from the boy and began to rip him to shreds, piece by piece, while he was still alive. I fed him magical strength to keep him alive longer, in order for him to endure more pain." Harry paused here and looked straight into Draco's eyes, pleading for him to understand. "I know that no-one deserves unimaginable pain, even if they do deserve death…" Harry looked towards the ceiling, blinked the tears from his eyes and cleared his throat.

"The point is… The point is that we rescued the boy and brought him here. Hermione and I worked through the night, we tried everything from arcane rituals to muggle medicine but nothing worked. We healed everything except the Lycanthropy."

Draco dropped his mug, spilling tea. Ignoring it, Draco exclaimed "You have a child-wolf in the house? Potter, they have almost no humanity in their human form – no sense of right or wrong! Imagine what will happen when he loses all humanity."

"I already know that Draco. Which is why I then went to Hogwarts and found this." Harry placed a battered copy of Advanced Potion Making on the table. "Even though it's not on the curriculum, the Wolfsbane potion is in there."

"Harry, I already have this book…" Draco looked at him quizzically.

Harry smiled. "This was Snape's personal copy."

Draco's eyes widened. "Wherever did you get it?" Draco picked it up and began to flick through it, seeing notes and scribbles on every page.

"I took it during sixth year. That's why I was so good at potions," Harry said in amusement. Harry watched Draco's eyes wide and childish glee, despite the sombre moment, and knew that the book belonged in the hands of someone who would appreciate it… not someone who would misuse it, like he had.

"You've already demonstrated that you understand the implications of having a child werewolf in the house. We need the Wolfsbane potion, Draco, and soon." Harry drew Draco's attention away from the book at back to him. The light that had been in Draco's eyes extinguished as he remembered the situation.


	5. Of missions, potions and an unknown ally

People never lie so much as after a hunt, during a war or before an election  
>-Otto Von Bismarck<p>

Lord Voldemort sat in a high backed throne on the centre of a dais. His outward appearance was calm and collected, but one never knew with the Dark Lord. He wore layers of thin, black robes that fell to his bare feet. In one hand he clasped a bone-white wand which twitched in his hand. Due to his unpredictable nature, the Death Eaters would flinch when it pointed their way, regardless of what the Dark Lord was saying. His other hand stroked the snake, Nagini, who curled around his throne. She snaked up the throne and round Voldemort's shoulders, looking round the room.

Voldemort was staring at a quivering man on the floor in front of him and there was no-one else in the room. After about five minutes of watching the man sweat and quiver, Voldemort stood from the throne and glided down from the dais. He stooped and cupped the man's chin, forcing him to rise up from his knees. Rudolpghus Lestrange tried to stare at the floor, but only succeeded in staring at the slits on Voldemorts nose.

"Rudolphus, I'm wondering why you have brought me bad news. You know I hate it terribly," came Voldemort's sickly hiss.

"My Lord, The castle was hit without our knowledge. We only managed to release half the traps. But we got more than ten of them!" Rudolphus boasted.

"Who, my spy tells me, received treatment from our dear departed Draco before they all died. They seem to be recovering. So, Rudolphus, let me see if I have this clear. Fenrir Greyback has been killed and the Potter-boy has raised one of my bases to the ground? Is there anything else?" Voldemort was behind the man now. Rudolphus' eyes were riveted on the snake, who stared back.

"The boy was taken, my Lord." Rudolphus cringed as he waited for the inevitable blow.

"What? What about the other prisoner? Did Potter get the other Malfoy?" Voldemort's voice turned sharp.

"Our spy indicates that she was not rescued by Potter and she isn't at their Headquarters. She must have escaped during the raid," Rudolphus' was shaking now.

Voldemort swooped around the man, and got so close he was almost touching the trembling man in front of him. "Find her. I wish to cut her head off myself, Lestrange. Go. NOW." And turned back towards the throne.

"My Lord." He bowed, still trembling and scrambled from the room.

"Oh! And Rudolphus." Voldemort turned back to the man. "Send the new leader of the pack to me."

* * *

><p>Over the next week, Draco worked from the moment he woke up until the moment he fell asleep on brewing the Wolfsbane Potion. Meals were brought to him by nameless faces as he focused so intently on the potion. Severus' notes had allowed him to get the potion further than he had previously and he didn't want to ruin it once again. The full moon was fast approaching and, if he failed this attempt, he would not have another until after the next full moon.<p>

He dropped in the last of the ingredients of the current stage, and after stirring three times clockwise, three times anti-clockwise (with an extra half-clockwise on Serverus' insistence) the potion stabilised once again and Draco sat on the bed. A cough came from the door. Draco looked towards its owner sharply.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to startle you," Harry said, holding up his hands. "I did knock... almost half an hour ago."

"You've been there for half an hour?" Draco asked incredulously.

"Almost half hour," Harry replied sheepishly.

Draco rarely saw Harry squirm these days, as the boy (or man, he should say) seemed to exude such confidence around the rest of the Order. Only Draco seemed to bring out the old Harry, who he had watched from afar.

When Draco didn't say anything, only sat there smirking at Harry's discomfort, Harry cleared his throat. "How is the Wolfsbane going?"

Draco looked at it with a mixture of pained effort and then a small smile of glee that Harry recognised as the look Draco gave when he had achieved something.

"In 24 hour I will know whether the potion is stable enough to proceed to the last stage," Draco replied.

"The last stage? It's almost done?!" Harry's voice rose in excitement and wonder.

"I wouldn't throw away those chains you and The Aurors have been creating and re-enforcing just yet. We don't know if it will work." Draco smirked as Harry then looked at him with incredulity.

"How did you know...?" Harry asked, trailing off at the end. "It's not that I didn't believe you could do it! It's just..."

Draco was quick to reassure him. "Don't be ridiculous, Potter, even I don't know if I can do it. I know because it is what i would do. Better safe than sorry, eh? And we would all be extremely sorry." Draco chuckled at his dark joke. Harry's lips quirked and a slight tingle fell down his spine, like water running down his back. He cleared his throat. "In any event, the first time he drinks it, he will need to be chained up anyway to ensure it works."

"Well we'll know soon enough. Come on, you need to get out of this room. I want to show you what else we've been working in while you've been holed up in here. Plus, it's almost time!" He said ominously.

They went downstairs towards the war room. As they entered he noticed that the Black Tapestry had been torn down and been replaced with (what looked like) a giant piece of parchment. In front of it was a pedestal with a lump of crystal on top, which looked like the recording crystal they had used to interrogate him with. Harry looked over his shoulder and saw Draco eying up the crystal.  
>"Oh don't worry, that's not a recording crystal. That's a communication crystal. It allows us to talk to each other through wards and across great distances." He sat down in one of the chairs littered around the war room. He gestured for Draco to do the same and pulled out another, albeit smaller, piece of parchment.<p>

"This is a map of Hogwarts created by my father, Sirius and Remus during their time at Hogwarts," Harry said, deliberately removing credit from the fourth marauder.

Draco frowned at the blank parchment.

"I solemnly swear I am up to no good." Harry tapped the parchment and, from the tip of his wand, ink grew like a spider, forming the walls and towers of the castle, and the rooms within. Draco gasped. The castle was empty but for two figures: Professor Sprout tended to her plants in the greenhouse and Filch sat in his dingy office.

"How is this possible?" Draco said, tracing his thumb over the boys dorm in Slytherin dungeons.

"Magic," Harry winked, and Draco felt a tingle run down his spine. He turned away from Harry.

Before Harry could enquire what was wrong, Draco caught sight of the large sheet of parchment the spanned the wall, cleared his throat, and said, "And this? What does this reveal."

"That?" Harry asked, a twinkle in his eye. "That was Ron's idea. With Remus' help, a few tricks from Fred, George, and some illegal acquisitions provided by Alastor, we have managed to re-create the map, to broadcast the vicinity of that crystals partners."  
>Draco's eyes widened. "You mean..."<p>

"Everyone's crystals project their surroundings and the people who are in it onto that giant map. Then someone here can direct them or warn them of people in the area. The mission leader can also make an accurate decision without the distraction of being in the field," Harry said, "and in a minute you're going to get a demonstration first hand." Smiling, He rose from the chair and waved his wand over the crystal.

"This is the War Room, Leaders 1 to 7, check in," Harry said, looking at the crystal.

"This is Leader 1," came the unmistakeable voice of Minerva McGonagall.

"This is Leader 2," came a male voice. This went on until all 7 leaders checked in.

"Okidoke, let's get this show on the road. Everyone to your stations and activate the mapping crystal." Harry turned off the crystal and turned to Draco. "Questions?" He asked.

"Where are they? What is this mission for?"

"This mission has been weeks in the making. We're going to capture Rudolphus Lestrange. He's been hiding out in an abandoned Cornish Castle." Harry said.

"Why him?" Draco said, confused.

"Since your father... fell out of favour, Rudolphus and Severus have been his right hand men." Harry cursed himself at his near slip, he hadn't told Draco about his father's death yet.

They were distracted once again by the crystal crackling and Minerva's voice coming through the crystal.

"This is Leader 1, we are in position." Followed by confirmations from the other leaders. Harry's face grew serious.

"Draco, through the whole mission, you aren't to interrupt, do you understand?"

Draco stared at Harry. The man knew he wasn't one to shirk back if he didn't agree with something. But this wasn't his fight. He had no authority here.

"Okay," he replied with a nod of his head.

Harry waved his wand at the crystal again. "This is the War Room. Stand by."

Harry pointed his wand and muttered a phrase under his breath. The inky-lines did not appear from on point on the map this time; however they started at seven different points across the map, and gathering from the cluster of people in those areas, and these were the seven teams on the mission. The castle on the parchment outlined itself, but the middle of the castle was blank, where the crystal's spells couldn't reach.

"Okay teams, I can see you. Begin." Harry directed the teams.

Draco sat, watching with concealed awe, as Harry began directing the teams through the mission. Harry countered problems with carefully considered solutions, quickly and effectively. Draco was still unsure of the reasons Harry had brought him down here… but Draco was glad he had. While it had done nothing for the feelings that he'd been having, the ones that Draco wouldn't even admit to himself, it had allowed him to get to know Harry more.

About half an hour after entry, the battle became complicated when Hermione's voice came through the crystal. "War room, this is Team 3! Leader 3 has been separated from the group and has engaged with the target."

"Where are you? How the bloody hell did that happen!"

"I'm on the balcony of the ballroom. Ron was on the side of the balcony that collapsed when Lestrange hit it with a explosion charm."

Harry quickly located the ballroom, Ron was facing Lestrange and two other men. Hermione's and her team were on the other side of the room on a partial balcony. "Hermione, can you get down there?"

As Ron dispatched one of Lestrange's men, Harry saw the man's name disappear from the screen.

"There's no way of getting down without leaving the room, we might miss an opportunity to help Ron."

"Do you have a clear line of sight? Can you capture or kill Lestrange?" Harry answered, his brow furrowed.

"No, there's a chance I could hit Ron..." She paused and her voice sounded pained, "Should I attempt it anyway?"

Harry stopped pacing and stared at the map, contemplating the idea. He tried to massaged the tension from his forehead before running a hand through his hair. Draco sat still in the chair, not wanting to distract him. He could only imagine the decision Harry was having to make while trying to be objective; deciding which life was more important to the war.

Harry folded his arms across his chest having apparently made the decision. "Getting Ron out alive is more important than capturing Lestrange. Tell half your team to enter the ballroom from the lower level and wait for Ron. Do not engage Lestrange." Harry looked over the map, running his hands over the wall opposite from where Hermione's was, and directly behind Ron and Lestrange. Half of Hermione's team backtracked from the balcony, heading to the stairs

"The rest of you, in the wall behind Ron and Lestrange is a main water pipe, about 3 feet from the ceiling. There should be a slightly raised area travelling across the room? Burst it." Harry said.

"Harry, are you sure? Lestrange could-"

"Burst the pipe, Team 3!"

There was no reply from the crystal. Moments later, Harry saw line on the map begin to fracture as the pummelled the wall with spells. He knew they had broken through when Ron, Lestrange and the other man were swept rapidly from the room, into the company of the other half of Ron's team who grabbed him from the water flow.

Harry watched as Lestrange was swept from the room, and down the corridor. He was going to get away. He waved his wand over the crystal.

"All teams, make a hasty and careful exit. Team 7, commence with 'cleaning up'" Harry sighed and waited for confirmation from all 7 leaders before sitting down next to Draco in a chair.

Together in silence they watched all the teams exit the castle the way they had come in, some with rescued prisoners. Draco then watched as team 7 fanned out around the castle.

"What are they doing?" Draco asked.

"Alastor calls it cleaning up... They're torching the castle." Harry said without feeling. They watched together as lines that were the outer walls of the castle blurred and faded. Within minutes there was nothing but a few stray lines on the map, and Draco knew that the castle would be nothing more than ruins now. It was over just as quickly as it had begun, a tactic that Draco didn't think was accidental. In and out quickly before Voldemort knew what was happening.

Harry looked at the clock on wall. Seeing it was gone midnight, he turned to Draco and said.

"Get some sleep Draco, tomorrow we will find out if the Wolfsbane will work and we'll hold the debrief of this mission. You can be there for that too." If Draco was surprised about with quick dismissal, he didn't show it as he left the room and made his way to bed.

Harry did not go to bed. He made his way to the abandoned wing of the house, where Keacher usually skulked. He turned to a nondescript door and tapped three times quietly.

"Enter," came a quiet voice from inside. Harry turned the knob and went inside, closing the door silently behind him.


	6. Chapter 6 - Traitor

Truth made you a traitor as it often does in a time of scoundrels - Lillian Hellman

* * *

><p>Harry closed the door behind himself and turned towards the room. The room was large and clean, despite being a bit drab. Two heavy armchairs sat in front of a crackling fire. A four-poster bed draped with heavy, green velour curtains took up one side of the room with an armoire sat next to it. The only light in the room came from the fire, which sent eerie moving shadows up the walls and along the floors. A pale lady sat in one of the armchairs facing the fire, which gave her the appearance of a glowing apparition. A heavy tome sat on her lap open, but she did not appear to be reading it. She stared into the fire.<p>

"Mr Potter, I was beginning to think you had forgotten about me," she said.

"Your son said the same thing when he arrived here," Harry replied.

Narcissa Malfoy turned from the fire to face Harry, and smiled. "The I must ask you to forgive my son's and my apparent ungratefulness."

"I'm aware you're not ungrateful, Mrs Malfoy," Harry said, earnestly.

"Narcissa, please. Would you like to sit down?" She indicated the armchair next to her. Harry sank into the seat, and called Dobby for a drink.

"Single malt whiskey please, Dobby, and whatever Narcissa wants," Harry asked the house elf.

"Hello again, Dobby. It appears Mr Potter is keeping you happy. I'm glad," she said, kindly. It appeared that, away from her husband, Narcissa Malfoy dropped her cold aloofness but retained her regal baring.

"Dobby is happy to be working for Mr Potter." Dobby shied away from Narcissa, clearly unsure as to how to react to her being in the house.

"Indeed. Would you mind if I had scotch?" She asked the house elf.

Dobby looked towards Harry to know what to do. He had watched the exchange with interest and a small smile on his face. He nodded.

"Dobby will be back soon." And with a crack, he disappeared.

Narcissa turned to Harry with curiosity on her face. "You have something to ask me, Mr Potter." It was not a question.

"Harry, please. And shall we wait for our drinks before we get into that," he replied. She stared at him for a moment longer, assessing him.

"You're very different than my son and husband said you were. Your mother would be proud of you," she turned back to the fire.

"You knew my mother?" He asked, curiously.

"I knew of her. A powerful muggleborn witch does not go unheard of, even in my circles, Harry. Your father and his band of merry men were just as legendary." Her smile was small. "Your mother was ready for a child. Her love for James was too strong to be contained in just the two of them. It culminated and distilled into a pure form: you." She smiled and nodded. "I, however, was not ready. Bellatrix had made it clear that children would never come from her and when Andromeda was removed from the family, the burden fell to me. Like my son, I was a potions prodigy. But I gave all that up for Lucius and Draco. Married to a man I didn't love and barely holding onto beliefs that belong in Medieval times, you can understand how I became misguided. Since he was born, my focus has only ever been on Draco's well being. That became nearly impossible when Lucius began to focus on his education." She looked at Harry in the eyes. "Do not get me wrong, I taught Draco some of the Darkest Magic I know. But magic does not discriminate. Magic isn't inherently light or dark. Magic just is. A severing spell can be used to carve someone's heart out or amputate a leg in surgery. The spell doesn't discriminate. Lucius, however, does. He taught Draco that he was born better, whereas I taught Draco that his abilities and his choices made him who he was. Draco has always fought between these two competing ideas."

During Narcissa's pause, there was a crack and Dobby returned with a glass decanter filled with scotch, a bottle of single malt whiskey and two crystal glasses.

"Dobby, can you make sure that Narcissa has what she needs during her stay here?" Harry asked him while he poured out the drinks, handing one to Narcissa and keeping one for himself.

"Of course, Master Harry. Is there anything else you will be needing?" His large eyes focused on Harry.

"No thank you, Dobby. You can retire for the night"

Dobby nodded and disappeared.

"Please do not mistake me, Mr Potter: I am very proud of my son. He, like you, has survived through exceedingly hard challenges and, although he is not unchanged, he is mostly unscarred. I will not take credit for it... but yes, I am very proud." Narcissa seemed to remember where she was and cleared her throat. "Now that we have drinks, you have some questions?"

Harry made no mention of her confessions, preferring to be a listener so as not to give bad advice. "You understand that my questioning will have to be taken under veritaserum and a recording crystal?" He placed a small bottle of clear liquid on the table.

"Veritaserum..." she mused.

Harry quirked an eyebrow. "What about it?"

She looked from the bottle towards Harry, with a twinkle in her eye. "Draco is even better than I thought."

Harry smirked. "How did you know?"

"There are only three people, from what I know, in this house with the natural potions ability to make Veritaserum. I have not been given the resources to create it. Your Miss Granger would be too busy in the last year or so with you to hone her skills to make this potion. Draco is the only one left." She took the bottle and then poured four drops into her drink and drank the rest.

"Shall we begin, Mr Potter?"

* * *

><p>Harry didn't leave until the early hours of the next morning and wasn't awoken until late the next day by Dobby, for the briefing.<p>

Harry walked into the briefing the next evening to a gaggle of unhappy people. All seven of the team leaders, plus a few extraneous important members of the order sat around the dining room table. Draco was also there, sitting in the left hand seat from the head of the table (where he usually sat), earning him glares from Ron, Alastor and confused glances from Molly and Minerva.

Harry ignored all of this, passed them all and sat in his seat at the head of the table. He looked into the eyes of everyone sitting around the table.

"What happened last night, guys?" Harry asked quietly.

"More's the point, what the hell is he doing at this briefing?" Ron said angrily, which then set Moody off. Harry let the shouting go on for precisely 10 seconds before he shouted back, silencing them.

"He is here because he witnessed your monumental screw up last night! What in God's name were you thinking, Ron? You had to be at least 20 feet away from your team to have been separated by the balcony falling. You are a brilliant strategist! Tell me what exactly was your rationale behind being apart from your team? What's even worse, I had to risk the lives of your team to rescue you! Engaging the target was the last thing you should have been doing! There are plans in place for if a member of a team becomes separated! You should know, you're the one who planned them!"

By the end of Harry's tirade, everyone in the room was silent and even Moody could not argue with Harry. Ron was fuming, his face matching his hair. "I was trying to complete the mission-"

Harry sat down, held up a hand and interrupted, "Enough. Your actions last night show that you aren't up to the job. Hermione will be taking over your team from this moment forward."

"You can't do that. Its not like you're older than me! You can't just remove me!" Ron spluttered.

"I'm the head of the Order now, Ron," he said, calmly. "That means I am allowed to do it. And if I asked for confirmation from the other team leaders, which I am not obliged to do, I'm pretty sure they would agree with my decision." He turned to look at each of the other team leaders in turn, and they all solemnly agreed with Harry's decision. Ron said nothing else, just slumped in his chair.

Harry sighed. Now to put a huge spanner in the works, he thought. "In unrelated news, i have been reliably informed that there is a spy within the Order."

"Of course there is, you invited him here," Ron growled and nodded towards Draco, who had remained silently watching the exchange (with a small amount of glee).

But when he went to defend himself, he found an ally in the most unlikely of places. The gruff voice of Alastor Moody cut through Ron's argument. "He'd be a pretty damn useless spy, Weasley. The boy doesn't have a form of communication and isn't allowed to leave Headquarters. That along with the fact he isn't told anything until after it happens makes him a better historian than spy." Draco nodded towards Alastor in thanks and the man just grunted and his magical eye swivelled to a different part of the house.

"Potter, does this have anything to do with the room in the house that I can't see?" Alastor posited.

"Yes, it does," Harry replied simply. "But it has nothing to do with Draco. Now I want you all to keep a close eye on your teams. If anyone acts oddly, please bring your suspicions to me."

Minerva spoke up, "Who do you think it is, Potter?"

"I'm not sure of anything at the moment. Keep vigilant and keep your trust limited to a few." Harry didn't want to create paranoia, but they needed to be warned, even if he wasn't telling them all that he knew.

The meeting was disbanded after a few moments of quiet reflection, as nothing could be planned with Draco in the room. Draco remained at the table to speak to Harry as they all left. Aware of his intentions, Harry filled himself a cup of tea and sat back down.

"You were very quiet at that meeting, Draco, is something bothering you?" Harry asked.

"No, no. But there is something I want to show you." He took a small stoppered potion bottle out of his pocket and placed it on the table. When he uncorked it, it began to smoke with a faint blue hue.

"Is that..." Harry didn't finish.

"Wolfsbane potion. Severus' version of the potion is incredible. It stabilises the wolfsbane before the potions completion, so the potion doesn't have to stabilise it at the end, which can cause volatile reactions during the process." These words left Draco's mouth in a stream that Harry didn't quite understand.

"It is a week before the full moon. Remus and Alec need to start taking the potion today." Harry spoke quickly and rose from his chair. He threw floo powder into the fire and when it turned green, spoke into the flames, "Minerva, can you bring the boy here? And find Remus. It's important."

Minerva's voice came through the fire. "It will be done, Mr Potter." And the flames returned to their normal colour.

"Draco, you're amazing!" He pulled Draco from his seat and into a hug. Draco felt himself flush from his feet to his hairline. He tentatively returned the hug, enjoying it a lot more than he would let himself believe.

Draco cleared his throat, "Potter, we don't know if it's going to work yet."

Harry took Draco's shoulders in his hands, looked him in the eye and said "We can hope, Draco, we can hope."

Draco stared into Harry's eyes, unsure of what he was feeling. Something fluttered in his stomach and his heart began to pound.

Draco cleared his throat. "I should, erm, go before the, er, boy gets here. And Lupin." He untangled himself from Harry's arms and made for the door. Harry looked confused.

"Don't you want to be here for the first one, to check how it goes?" Harry asked, quizzically.

"I'm going to get the rest of the potion, Harry. They both need more than that bottle." Draco enjoyed watching Harry figure it out as he said it.

"Oh, okay then," Harry said, embarrassed. He too cleared his throat, squared his shoulders and then spoke in the same measure tone he usually talked to everyone else with. "Let's get ready then."

* * *

><p>When Draco walked back into the room, three extra people sat at the table. Two of his previous teachers were there along with a boy. The boy was blond and small. He was turned slightly away from Draco, but he could see creeping red lines up his neck to his jawline. Draco flinched at the implication: bite marks. The boy was looking at Harry with a huge smile on his face as Harry brought over a bowl of ice-cream.<p>

"Harry," Draco interrupted, "he can't eat that until he's drunk the potion."

The boy looked from Draco to Harry and then back again, with pleading eyes. Harry laughed.

"You can have it when we're done here. Promise." The boy broke out in a huge grin.

"Okay, Harry." He turned to Draco and tilted his head in a curious way.

"Draco, this is Alec. Alec, say hi to Draco." Harry was nervous to see how this encounter would go. He had instructed Alec not to mention Draco's mum who was imprisoned with him.

"Are you going to fix me?"

Draco's heart broke when the boy asked the one question he was dreading. He wanted, more than anything, to be able to tell the boy yes, that he would fix him. He wanted to be able to take him and shield him from the terrible future that awaited a werewolf. But he couldn't lie to the child. What he wanted and what he could do were completely different.

"I'm sorry, there isn't anything I can do to cure you. But I can make sure you and Lupin are completely comfortable during the full moon. It won't hurt a bit."

The boys just nodded. After that, everything happened fast. Lupin arrived a few moments later, haggard and worn. When he saw the potion on the table, his eyes began to water and he began to thank Draco profusely. Harry explained that he hadn't told Remus about Draco's attempts at making the potion, so as not to create false hope. Remus' expectation of another bad month was now replaced with gratitude towards Draco. The rest happened without ceremony. Remus drank the potion before getting back to his mission and Alec was then allowed his bowl of ice cream. Draco sat at the table with a cup of coffee in his hands, watching the boy.

Draco had never considered children a possibility; up until recently he wasn't expecting to have much of a future. But the child in front of him was polite, fairly well educated and funny. In his daydreaming, Draco didn't see that everyone had left the room except the boy eating his ice-cream.

* * *

><p>Harry had seen Hermione walk through the house, past the kitchen and into the study. He left Draco with the boy, hoping they would get along for now.<p>

He walked into the study to find Hermione in the exact position he had seen her before. She stood at the window looking out over the dark Grimmauld Place.

"Hermione?" Harry said, tentatively.

She didn't turn away from the window. "It's Ron, isn't it?"

Harry paused. "What are you talking about?"

He heard a hitch in her breathing. "The traitor. It's Ron, isn't it?"

Harry sat down in the chair and rubbed his eyes. "Yes, he's the traitor."

She whirled around, her eyes full of tears. "Is that all you have to say? Your best friend is the traitor for gods sake! He's my boyfriend!"

Worried that her voice could be heard, Harry waved his wand. The door shut, locked and he threw up a silencing charm.

"He cannot know that we're onto him yet. We need proof before we can convince the others. How did you know?"

She barked out a laugh. "I thought he was cheating on me. Then I saw him go pale when you mentioned that there was a traitor." She laughed. "Bloody-fucking-hell. I thought he was cheating on me… How could I be so foolish. And self-centered! When he was went out he said he was on order business, and that you'd told him not to tell anyone. He kept me busy with his suspicions over Malfoy and you and I didn't see it until it was too late."

"Hermione, it's not your fault-"

"And yet, I still have to go the Burrow and pretend like nothing is going on, don't I?" She wiped tears away from her face.

"Have a drink." He ordered her, walking over to the drinks cabinet and pouring them each one. "Not tonight, Hermione. Tonight, you can stay here and I'll send a message to Ron that you're on Order business tonight. But, yes tomorrow you will have to go to him and pretend that everything is okay and that nothing has changed." Harry sighed and placed his hands on her arms so he could look her straight in the eye. "You play the besotted girlfriend. Smart, but ignorant of his faults. I will deal with everything else."

She took a small sip of her drink and began to compose herself.

"How long? How long do I have to keep up the ruse?"

"Give me 7 days to find all the information I need, and then I'll make a move, okay?" he replied.

She nodded. "He's rather brilliant, isn't he?" she said out of nowhere. "Not Ron, Malfoy. I noticed when I walked passed the kitchen that he'd managed to brew a Wolfsbane successfully." She looked at him straight in the eye. "I can see why you like him."

He spat out his drink all over the desk. "I-"

Hermione laughed. "Oh Harry, you think you're so secretive these days. But you can't hide something like that, not from me."

He shook his head. These were mad times we live in, he thought.

"Let's go check that Malfoy and the boy are okay," she said, chuckling despite her circumstances.

* * *

><p>{AN} So that's that! This has been a long time coming and there are a few silly mistakes that I no doubt missed, but there we go!

The Drarry kicks up a notch in the next chapter with his first mission.


	7. Chapter 7 - Forbidden Forest

**_We have a rare and perhaps small window of opportunity to set partisan differences aside, and attempt to achieve what many in recent years have felt was unreachable - greater retirement security for ourselves and our children._**

**_- Gordon Smith_**

* * *

><p>It was the night of the full moon and Harry was stressed. He had spent a vast amount of his day trying to convince Alec, the werewolf child, that he would be okay. Alec was an odd boy, but then again, Harry hadn't spent any time at all around children to know what one was supposed to act like. He had spent most of his childhood watching a spoilt Dudley becoming fatter. His ignorance, along with the fact that Alec was not a typical child, made the boy a complete mystery to him.<p>

Help had come from the most unlikely of places. Draco had recognised what was wrong with Alec and had been able to console him. It turned out that Alec wasn't afraid of becoming a wolf, being locked in the basement, or even the pain. Alec was afraid of hurting someone.

Throughout the week, all Alec had heard was how dangerous a child-werewolf was. And now, he was more worried about hurting the people in the house. In the kitchen, Draco had knelt in front of Alec and took his small hands into his larger ones and looked at him right in the eye.

"If the potion worked, then you and Remus will sit in the basement all night and not even care about us upstairs. The potion and the change will make the wolf tired and you'll fall fast asleep and snore 'til morning." Draco smiled at him and the boy barked a laugh through his tears. Draco's face grew serious for a moment. "If the potion doesn't work, Harry and all these people," he looked towards Harry, Remus, Kingsley, and Hermione, "have made sure that you can't get out and hurt anyone. We'll make sure that everyone in the house is safe, okay?"

Alec had looked into Draco's eyes and seen how honest and true his words were and had calmed down. Which brought them here, to the basement on the night of the full moon. Remus, Alec, Draco (at Alec's request) and Harry stood in the basement. Harry hated the basement, it was dark and damp. It used to contain Walburga's vast collection of elvish wine, which Harry had moved to a vault at Gringotts, with a few bottles left for himself.

Now, all it contained was a table and two sets of chains that were nailed into the stone floor. The chains were thick rings of dark metal linked together, surrounded by a green, smokey glow. The glow around the chains was the magic that Harry and the others had weaved around them to ensure than neither werewolf could break them. They weren't silver, as none of them had the heart to hurt either of the wolves.

On the table was the last of the Wolfsbane Potion for Alec and Remus. When both of them had taken the potion, Harry moved forward to secure the chains around them. Waving his wand, the chains rose from the floor; like serpents, they snaked towards them and the manacles attached themselves to their arms and feet. Remus' face was hard with determination and Alec locked eyes with Draco and didn't look away.

Harry almost faltered his spell-work. he hadn't realised that Draco and Alec had got so close over the last week - to the point where Draco was the only one that he trusted. It was going to make Harry's plan a little bit harder… or maybe easier. He re-focused his attention on his spell-work; with a clank, all the manacles snapped shut; collars attached to final chains slithered up to their neck, and with a dull thunk they closed around their throat.

Harry cleared his throat and handed Remus a box which contained the game checkers and a pack of cards.

"For until the full moon rises," he explained to the confused Remus, and Alec smiled. "We'll see you both in the morning." Harry indicated to Draco that he could say goodbye.

Draco crouched down. "Good luck, I'll be right upstairs. I'll see you in the morning."

Alec lifted his hand to Draco's face. "Thank you. I'm not afraid. See you soon."

Draco smiled and stood up. Harry and Draco climbed the stairs in silence and Harry sealed the door with a wordless spell behind them.

"He's a remarkable boy," Draco whispered to Harry.

Harry nodded earnestly. "He is incredibly brave. Let's go to my office. I want to ask you something."

Inside Harry's office, which was as untidy as Harry's hair, they both sat in armchairs. Harry noticed that Draco's brows were furrowed. Instead of explaining why he'd asked him here, he asked, "What's wrong?"

Draco looked surprised at the question. "What if it doesn't work?"

Harry sighed. "I'm afraid we can't stay to find out."

Draco looked up alarmed. "What do you mean? I just told him I would be here!"

"I'm sorry, but Alec wouldn't have been okay if you had told him you were leaving. And I didn't want you to lie to him, so I didn't tell you that we were going. I need a partner for tonight, and I was hoping you would agree." Harry looked at him evenly.

"You know as well as I do that that is a tricky loophole, and very devious. There is so much ethically wrong with what you did!"

Harry raised an eyebrow. "I never said that it was morally sound. I said that you would be morally correct to accept, even though you told him you would be here. Hermione and Ron are partnered, and there's no-one else I trust to help me."

Draco's eyes shot up to meet Harry's. "You trust me?" he asked, confused.

"Everyone has an agenda. Everyone is frightened, or scared for their families, they're all scared of losing something. You and I… everything has been taken away from us. We've no home, no family, no life to speak of. This war is everything to us, now. It holds the key to our salvation. So, yes I trust you, because you're as devoted as I am and will help me end this war… by any means necessary." He paused and smiled ruefully. "It also helps that you're an extremely adept fighter and magically powerful." Harry said all this with the weary tone of someone who had come to realise this very recently, and how depressing it was. "And…" Harry added as an afterthought.

"And what?" Draco asked.

"And we're different than we used to be. Better together." Draco just looked at him.

No-one said anything for a minute. Despite how depressed Harry's speech made him feel, his last admission made his stomach soar.

"Okay. It's not like I can help Alec if it doesn't work… I'll be your partner. What's the mission?"

"Its the full moon tonight, and since I killed Fenrir, a power vacuum has opened up in Voldemort's wolf 'pack'. On the full moon after the Alpha's death, the rest of the werewolves fight for dominance during the hunt by trying to take down big prey or a lot of prey. Tonight the werewolves are attacking Hogsmeade," Harry explained. "The ministry either knows, and doesn't care, or they don't believe us. We're outnumbered. We're going to try and enlist the help of the centaurs in the Forbidden Forest."

Draco's eyebrows creased, "Why not just evacuate Hogsmeade?"

"We thought about it, but if we evacuate everyone, Voldemort will just pick a different town or city, one that we don't know of. As of yet, they don't know that we know about the plan. We've evacuated all the children and elderly to Hogwarts for the night, under the supervision of Madam Rosmerta and Madam Pomfrey." Draco flinched at her name. Harry just shook his head. "Rosmerta doesn't blame you for anything that happened last year, Draco. She's a remarkably forgiving witch."

Harry continued, "Ambrosius, the owner of Honeydukes has allowed us to use the secret passageway for us to enter Hogsmeade unnoticed. We've replaced some of the families who lived there with members of the Order, as well. The rest are prepared to portkey out or help fight. We're still outnumbered. So we're going to the Forbidden Forest in a moment."

There was a knock on the office door and Hermione entered, looking shattered and distracted. "Harry, it's almost time to go, is he coming with us?"

Harry looked towards Draco who nodded. Harry beamed and Draco felt his stomach warm…

"Draco is on board. Are you all prepared for tonight?"

Hermione schooled her face into a look of determination. "All prepared. This is going to be big isn't it?" she asked, and Draco had an inkling that she wasn't just talking about the mission.

"Tonight is going to be bigger than anything we've ever done 'mione. It's going to be brutal." With that, Harry stood and indicated to Draco to do the same.

* * *

><p>Nearly half an hour later, and the sun was setting over Hogwarts School. Harry walked up the long path from the gatehouse, where they had apparated too just ouside of Hogwart's wards. On the steps of Hogwarts Castle stood Professor McGonagall, Hagrid and the centaur, Firenze.<p>

As they saw Harry, Draco, Hermione and a disgruntled Ron walking towards the castle, the three proceeded to meet them at Hagrid's Hut.

Harry greeted his old professors, "Minerva, Hagrid, thanks for coming." Harry turned towards his most obscure teacher.

It was Firenze who spoke first, "Greetings, Harry Potter. It has been a long time." Firenze looked towards the setting sun. "The planets are against our endeavour, Mr Potter," he said ominously. Draco did not like the sound of it. He wasn't superstitious, but if the planets told Firenze and the centaurs not to help, then it was unlikely that they would.

Harry, on the other hand, simply laughed at the centaur. Had anyone else laughed at a centaur. Draco would have assumed the centaur would have put two arrows in their forehead, but the centaur merely smiled at him. "You know that I put no stock in divination, my friend."

"Friend." Firenze mused on the word, but didn't comment. "You will find no friends in the Forbidden Forest."

Harry simply replied with a smile.

Neither the centaur nor Harry saw the faces of all the people around them. Hagrid, Ron and Hermione gawped at them, as if not believing the friendly, but weird conversation that was happening between a 17 year old boy and a centaur. Minerva and Draco just looked puzzled and bemused.

"Shall we? The sun is beginning to set?" Harry indicated for Hagrid and the centaur to lead the way. As planned, Harry, Minerva and Draco walked next in the line, with Hermione and Ron bringing up the rear. Harry was loathe to leave Hermione with Ron, knowing what they knew, but all pretences must be kept up. He saw Hermione grasp Ron's hand and smile at him lovingly. She was a brilliant witch, and apparently just as good an actress.

As they walked through the forest towards the centaur's clearing, Harry felt Draco touch his arm. He looked towards him.

"Why are we wearing formal robes?" Draco asked. They were all wearing forest green formal robes, which trailed through the forest floor, spelled not to snag on the underbrush.

Harry smiled and said in a low voice, "Centaur customs dictate that we'll only get an audience if we're a formal delegation. That's why Hagrid and Firenze are going first. They are 'friends of the forest', so they might be able to parlay on our behalf." He smiled at Draco and Draco smiled back.

"Why am I here?" Draco asked.

Harry lowered his voice even further so that no-one else could hear. "Because I want you here," he said in no more than a whisper.

Draco tentatively reached out his hand and grasped Harry's, giving it a quick squeeze before letting go. Harry looked towards him, shocked at the uncharacteristic gesture. Draco didn't meet his eye.

Harry's head whipped round as he heard a rush of air and a thud. A dozen arrows buried into the forest floor in front of them blocking their entrance to the clearing. From within the forest somewhere, a disembodied voice floated towards them.

"You may go no further," it said, definitively.

Firenze looked at Harry, who waved his wand, turning the arrows into flowers. Firenze stepped forward.

"Centaurs of the Forbidden Forest. Firenze of the forest and Hagrid, friend of the forest, formally request that you recognise a delegation from Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, the Order of the Phoenix and the Noble and Ancient House of Black." Firenze paused and waited for a response.

From the opposite side of the clearing, Harry and Draco recognised the centaur Bane enter, looking displeased.

"Centaurs do not recognise human institutions," Bane spat. "You would do well to leave this place, Firenze."

Firenze proceeded as if he had not been warned. "Speaking for the delegation, Harry Potter, the Head of the Order of the Phoenix and Noble House of Black, and Minerva McGonagall, Headmistress of Hogwarts School."

Hagrid and Firenze parted in order for Harry and Minerva to walk forward. Draco held back with Ron and Hermione as he had been told to do.

Bane's lip curled. "An old crone, and a infant? This is the best your people have to offer. You've gone down in the world, Firenze."

Harry bristled. "You will show Professor McGonagall more respect, Bane."

A whistle was all the warning they had as an arrow flew from beyond Bane, through the trees, towards Harry. McGonagall moved quickly, slashing her wand through the air. The arrow passed straight through Harry and buried itself in a tree, leaving him unharmed.

"Centaurs of the Forbidden Forest, lay down your weapons, as we will do," Harry called out through the forest. Harry withdrew his wand and placed it on the floor. McGonagall, Draco and Hermione did the same. With reluctance, Ron followed. Hagrid warily lowered his crossbow to the floor, along with his umbrella.

"This will not help-". Bane was cut off by the slow thud of hooves moving across the forest floor. From the side of the clearing, an old centaur entered. Everyone, including Bane turned to look at the new arrival. His hair, mane and fur were all silver, but appeared almost golden in the light of the setting sun. He leaned on an oak staff, but didn't appear to need it because of his age.

His expression of curiosity was one that Harry had seen only on one centaur: Firenze. He came to stand directly in front of Harry and Minerva.

His voice was heavy and ancient, but contained a melodic undertone. "You are odd humans. You would prostrate yourself before us?"

Minerva answered, "Ancient centaur, we would do anything to ensure the safety of innocent lives."

The centaur stared at Minerva for a moment. "Bane was wrong to imply that old age indicates weakness. You are a teacher; a guide. Were you a centaur, we would be well met." He bowed his head somewhat respectfully towards her and turned to Harry.. "And you, you are the strangest boy to ever have entered this forest; an enigma that even the planets cannot fathom. You carry great evil within your soul."

Harry stared at the centaur, determination written all across his face. "I fight it every day: Every day, I win."

The centaur tilted his head to the side. "A testament to your strength…"

He paced the width of the clearing and then wandered towards the back of the forest. "Centaurs of the forest, lay down your weapons and join us," he spoke to the shadows.

Bane replied sharply, "Akim-"

"Do not question this, Bane. Do as I say," the old centaur, Akim, spoke quietly and authoritatively. From the shadows, dozens of centaurs entered the clearing, ranging in different colours, sizes and sex.

"Thank you, Akim of the Centaurs," said Harry.

Akim turned towards the boy. "Do not thank me, Harry Potter. I have granted you an audience, not our help. Magorian will decide your fate."

The auburn centaur Magorian stepped forward and Bane shrank bank. Even though he did not look it, Harry assumed he was disgruntled. Magorian was the broadest and meanest looking of all the centaurs standing in the forest. But, next to him, stood a foal. Harry looked at Minerva. He knew that she had seen the foal and understood. Akim had done them one last favour and appointed someone who they could reason with. Minerva nodded at him, allowing him to take charge of the audience.

"Magorian, as you already know, tonight is the full moon. Werewolves of the Dark Lord Voldemort will descend on Hogsmeade Village with the intent of finding a new Alpha Wolf. You know what this will mean. A pack who have lost their Alpha will all compete in a bloody contest to achieve status. The village of Hogsmeade will be decimated. The Order of the Phoenix and Hogwarts School will attempt to protect the village, but we are hideously outnumbered by the wolves. We will quickly fall before them. We ask for your help."

Magorian's voice was deep, deeper than even Hagrid's or Grawp's. It resonated through the forest, and hummed through the ground. "Centaurs do not participate in the battles of humans and their half-breeds."

Harry countered, "You think they will stop at the borders of your forest? The werewolves will quickly finish off the residents of Hogsmeade and they will search for the next conquest. You don't think that a Centaur herd will look appealing to an aspiring Alpha?"

"We will protect our herd, Harry Potter. You should do the same," Magorian said.

"You cannot hope to fend off the werewolves by yourself, Magorian of the Forest. You are strong but not that strong."

"The extermination of our herd is not written in the stars tonight. We will rebuild, if we must" Magorian said, dismissively.

"Can the stars predict how many of you will die tonight?! How many of your brothers and sisters will fall prey to the wolves? How many of your children?" Harry's voice crescendo'd from a shout to a hiss. The herd away from Harry, Magorian went to speak, but Harry continued. "Let us help you, let us fight together on the field of battle. Send your children and your elderly to Hogwarts, under the protection of the wards, and fight with us, knowing that they are safe."

Magorian whipped his head around, his mane flying. "SAFE?" his voice thundered. "Your people systematically destroy the forest and the creatures within. Your people oppress, and murder and hate, far more than ours. Your species cannot co-exist with each other, let alone others. Our children are not SAFE with you," he spat.

Harry sighed. "My species is not irredeemable. There is good in us. The creatures of this world live in symbiosis, not separately. If evil reigns in our world, so too does it in yours. Even if you survive the werewolves, what then? Voldemort will come. And you will fall."

"We have survived before, Harry Potter, we will survive again."

Harry was agitated now. He wasn't getting anywhere. If he couldn't reason with them… he would show them.

"Fine. If you will not listen to reason, I will show you the pain you will feel."

Harry began chanting, altering memory and projection spells to change the world around them. Blue mist, not unlike the memories within the vials in Dumbledores office, rolled off Harry's skin and through the forest. The forest began to shift, scorched and on fire. Although they stood in the same place, it was unrecognisable. No trees stood, just stumps and burnt undergrowth. Hogwarts lay in ruins. The city of Hogsmeade was a pile of smoking rubble. All around them was the stench of death. The bodies of all manner of creatures surrounded them.

"What have you done, Harry Potter?" Magorian said, his deep voice was now a whisper of panic. "The foals should not see this." Not only the centaurs were agitated, Harry's entourage were just as astounded. Draco, although he didn't quite understand what Harry had done, encouraged Harry to continue, as he believed he was getting through to them.

"You are interested only in the future, centaur, so here is yours. Yours, and every other creature of the world. If we do not work together, your foals will see it anyway: so they might as well look. Voldemort will tear through the world like forest fire, poisoning everything he touches. The only lives that will exist will be ones bent to his will. There, see you…" Magorian's body was a mangled mess on the forest floor. His auburn flank was torn in two, his limbs missing, and his heart had been ripped out. Magorian gasped.

"But see your foal." Harry pointed towards a hill. Voldemort stood on the hill, surrounded by magical creatures. Magorian's golden foal was now an adult, standing beside Voldemort. "If Voldemort wins, you will die or you will join him. The lives of children are so easy to shape."

"End this. Now!" Magorian hissed at him, angry and upset. Harry allowed the picture to linger a little longer. Then he opened his arms, and the blue mist began to roll back, returning to Harry.

Magorian looked smaller, back in the real forest. He seemed cowed by what he saw. Even though Harry was panting and worn out, he clearly had the upper hand.

"How?" Magorian whispered.

"I can see into Voldemort's mind, you know this." He looked towards Akim, who had alluded to it earlier. "I am the only one who can understand him. I am the only one who knows. Let us help each other. Let us change this future." Harry finished. If that would not convince the centaurs… he had no other way.

All of the centaurs, Harry, and his friends, looked towards Magorian for his decision. The look of shock remained for many minutes.

"Take up your weapons, centaurs and delegates. For the first time in centuries, Centaurs and Humans will fight side by side against the growing evil in the world. We will fight with you, Friends of the Forest." Magorian's deep voice was resigned, but determined.

"Tonight, we spill blood in order to preserve good."

* * *

><p>Nearly an hour later, the sun had nearly set, but the moon had not yet risen. Harry and his friends had finished explaining plans to the centaurs, who had altered and changed some of them for the better, and were walking back through the forest. Harry leaned on Draco for support, the spell had taken a lot of his already waning energy, and he was grateful for the contact with Draco. Harry indicated that everyone should go on ahead, and that he and Draco would catch up in the Great Hall.<p>

They walked in an easy silence. Harry was the first one to talk. "Are you ready for tonight?"

Draco chuckled. "What's funny?" Harry asked, earnestly.

"You just argued and won with a centaur, did magic no-ones ever seen before, and you're exhausted, but you're still worried about me?" Draco said, still smiling thinly and Harry returned a small smile.

"You're under my protection, I'm supposed to be worried about you." Harry said.

Draco stopped suddenly, so Harry turned towards him. "Is that all it is? Because you're obligated to worry about me?"

Harry looked away, he couldn't bare to lie to him. "No, Draco, that's not all it is. I have feelings that I don't understand, but there's a lot I haven't told you, things I couldn't tell you. The more time went on, the harder it got to tell you, because I was worried you'd be angry because I didn't tell you. And I can't tell you now, because it'll distract you-" Harry was rambling, far from the eloquent man who had battled the centaurs and won.

"Shh, Harry. Just shut up a moment, will you?" Draco said, grabbing him and turning him towards him. "Whatever it is doesn't matter right now. If we both survive tonight… then we'll sit down tomorrow and we'll hash it all out- no judging and no anger, okay? Right now we don't know if we're going to be alive, so I only want one thing from you."

Harry looked at him, confused. "What's that?"

Draco didn't tell him, he just took it. On the edge of the forbidden forest, in the last rays of the sunset, he kissed Harry Potter.

* * *

><p>[AN] Finally getting somewhere with this now that I've finished my degree! So regular updates should be on the rise, probably sooner than expected. And this chapter is waaay better than the others. Hope you enjoyed :)


	8. Of Centaurs, Werewolves and traitors

**_"_****_Death leaves a heartache no one can heal, love leaves a memory no one can steal."_**

_-From an Irish headstone_

* * *

><p>Although the kiss only lasted a few seconds, to Harry, it felt like a lifetime of happiness. It was the first time Harry had truly shared a kiss with someone, in that it felt natural and unconditional. It wasn't the emotionally immature kiss with Cho Chang or the condition-riddled kiss with Ginny, who felt more like family. Draco felt like an equal. Just as screwed up, just as manipulated by those around him, but also just as determined, powerful and brilliant. Not that Harry was arrogant enough to think himself as brilliant, but the world believed he was.<p>

The kiss came to its natural end when the sun set and the light around them was fully extinguished, reminding them of where they were.

Draco looked embarrassed, "Harry,I'm sorry, that was-"

"Brilliant," Harry interrupted, "and we'll discuss what it means later on." Harry smiled at Draco reassuring him that he wasn't lying and that he was fine with the kiss. He was more than fine, but that was something they'd deal with later. Right now, they needed to find out if there would be a later. Draco smiled, it was a wide smile that Harry had never seen on Draco before, a smile of true happiness. It was Harry, this time, who reached out his hand and grabbed Draco's. He held it for a few seconds before letting go, and reminding Draco that they had to go. Before Harry could let go, Draco grabbed it tighter.

"I'm worried about Alec," he said, softly.

"He'll be okay, Draco, either way. You did your best in the time that we had, and all signs point to it working. There's nothing we can do for him now," Harry replied kindly.

"I know," Draco said. He let go of Harry's hand. "Let's go."

Harry and Draco entered the Great Hall several minutes later, both smiling, despite what was about to happen. Hermione noticed them walk in together, grabbed the Pepper-Up potion and walked over to the pair. She handed them both a glass, and poured some into the glasses.

"Drink up. We're not going to get any sleep tonight."

Harry was relieved to see Hermione playing the doting mother figure. It meant that she was distracting herself from Ron, in a way that wouldn't draw Ron's attention. It wasn't unusual for Hermione to become fixated on the well-being of others.

Harry turned to Draco, "Would you mind waiting with the others, I need to talk to Hermione about something personal?"

Draco smiled. "Sure, I'll go throw myself to the Weasley's and the Phoenix Clan." He laughed to show that he was joking, and moved over towards everyone who was at the staff table, surrounded by plans.

Harry turned to Hermione. "How're you holding up?"

She sighed. "When are we going to confront him? Its been a week."

"Tomorrow, after all this. You have your team now to guard your back. I'm sorry to make you wait…" Harry trailed off as Hermione barked a laugh.

"Don't apologise, Harry. We're all sacrificing things. But it's nice to see you find something out of all of this." She looked towards Draco.

"You're not mad?" Harry asked.

"Why would I be mad? We're not the same people we were a few months ago. Hell, a few weeks ago, I was frightened of my own shadow. Now, I know how to kill people without leaving a trace. Malfoy doesn't have to prove himself to me. He has to prove himself to you. And if you think he has… then we're fine. Have you told him about his dad yet?" She asked.

Harry looked away. "Not yet. I told him that we needed to talk, and that its important. He told me that we'd sit and chat tomorrow, no judgements." Hermione's eyebrows shot up.

"He offered a reprieve without knowing what it is you have to tell him? Lucky you," she smiled. "I'm glad you're getting on." Harry smiled back and they moved back towards the table.

"Is everything ready?" Harry asked the group.

Alastor Moody and Kingsley Shacklebolt ran Harry through the plans once more, with the newly incorporated centaur-plans.

Harry shared a grim smile with the group. "Barring any surprises, this may actually work." Harry looked at his watch, the present from Molly and Arthur. The handle that indicated the moon's position had just started ticking, indicating its rise. "Showtime people!"

The fifty or so Order members rose from around the room, gathered into their groups and made their way out of the Hall. Harry watched them go, leaving only him and Draco.

"You ready?" He asked Draco.

"As I'll ever be," Draco replied with a small smile. He held his hand out to Draco who took it in his own.

"Whatever happens today, there's something that you have to know, and I'll explain it later. Don't turn your back on Ron." Harry looked him straight in the eye, showing how serious he was. Confusion flickered over Draco's face.

"What, I don't understand?" Draco started.

"I don't have time to explain now. But if we get separated, which we wont, don't trust Ron." Harry lead Draco through the corridors of Hogwarts to the Gunhilda of Gorsemoor Corridor. Just before they entered the corridor, Draco looked to Harry and let go of his hand. They shared a look before walking through the archway to the one-eyed hump-back witch. The witch had been moved aside completely to reveal the slide down to the passage. When they saw Harry, most of the order stepped aside, allowing him to walk through, and they greeted him as he walked past. No-one but Hermione, Molly and curiously Alastor even indicated that they knew Draco was there. Harry explained that he was going to meet with the owners of Honeydukes and that everyone should wait five minutes before coming through.

Harry and Draco arrived in Honeydukes several minutes later, where Ambrosius and his wife waited for them.

Lifting himself out of the dusty passage, Harry realised that he was still in his formal robes and so was Draco. Mrs Flume laughed at their dusty garb.

"Mrs Flume, Ambrosious, it's good to see you!" Harry said, brushing himself down.

"You're quite a state, dear, would you like a change of clothes?" Mrs Flume asked, busying herself brushing them down. Draco realised that the usually floral Mrs Flume was dressed completely different. Her usually flowing ginger hair was pulled back into a severe bun and her floral dress had been exchanged for tight dark blue combat gear. She smiled at Draco, as if reading his mind. "Not quite what you were expecting, right? We didn't survive the first war, holed up in here with our sweets. War turns everyone into soldiers." She winked at him and he smiled back.

"With everything that went on, I forgot to change. Don't worry about it…" Harry waved his wand and their robes fashioned themselves into slim fitting dark blue combat trousers and sturdy jumpers. A wand holster appeared at their hips. Their formal shoes grew up their legs into combat boots. A strip of black cloth flew up to Draco's hair and pulled it back into a short ponytail. Draco reached up and felt it.

Ambrosious grinned. "Great spellwork, Mr Potter! Much better." He turned to Draco. "You look so much like your mother. She is a fine warrior too."

Before Draco, who had only ever been compared to his father, could thank the man, there was a motion from the passage.

"Go upstairs, dears, and prepare yourselves. There's tea if you want some." With that, Mrs Flume ushered them out of the basement to make way for the rest.

Honeydukes shop felt larger without the shelves and shelves of sweets, the students and customers filling the room. Tables had been pushed to either side, and the windows had been blacked out. The room was lit by hundreds of tea lights floating about their heads.

"This would actually be rather romantic if we weren't about to go running off into a werewolf fight," Draco remarked dryly.

"I didn't take you for a massive romantic?" Harry quirked an eyebrow. "I'll remember that."

Draco blushed. "I didn't mean-"

Harry shushed him. "Tomorrow," he said simply.

Arthur, Molly and Kingsley were the next to enter the room. Molly grasped Harry in her arms before turning to Draco and doing the same. "No-one should go into a battle without a hug from their mother first," was all she gave as explanation.

Harry just smiled at Draco over Molly's shoulder. Draco, although his mother was affectionate, was not quite as used to it, so simply stood their awkwardly before returning a brief hug.

Over the next fifteen minutes, all that happened was that the room steadily became fuller and Harry just watched his watch. Everyone was quite, but shared looks with loved ones and family members.

A few minutes after everyone had made it into the room, Harry stood up from the table he had been leaning on beside Draco.

"The full moon has risen." His phrase was punctuated by the howl of wolves in the distance as they began to change. The howls were loud and pained.

"Wands at the ready." Harry grabbed his wand from his holster, and Draco did the same. Harry turned towards the door, and lead the procession into the High Street of Hogsmeade. They waited at one end.

For minutes, they heard nothing but the howls of wolves coming closer and the rush of wind in the street. From other shops in Hogsmeade, Order members made their way to the group who waited for the wolves. Harry nodded to them.

The sound of wolves howling became louder and louder. Soon it was all they could hear over the rushing wind through the high street. It was Hermione that first realised something was wrong. Through the wind she heard a crash that wasn't something she expected. She ran the few steps to Harry.

"Harry, the wolves aren't alone!" She shouted over the wind.

"What?! They're not supposed-" His eyes went wide as he saw what the new addition was.

The shop at the end of the street was reduced to rubble in a matter of seconds. Harry and the Order stood in shock as two mountain trolls, clubs in hand, crashed through Tomes and Scrolls. At 12 feet tall, they were more than double human height and their clubs were bigger than Harry and Draco. With a few swipes of their club, the green, stench-ridden Trolls had collapsed a building and made their way through. Harry had few precious seconds to think and shock wasn't helping him.

Finally, as the shop was no more than bricks and dust, he shouted to Hermione, "Hermione, you and your team protect me and Draco from the wolves: we'll handle the trolls."

Hermione didn't even question Harry's plan, and her team began to surround Harry and Draco. Harry turned to Draco, "Ignore the wolves, focus solely on the trolls. Hermione and the others will do their job."

Draco schooled his face and raised his wand. "Any tips on fighting a troll, seeing as you've done this before?"

"Something tells me this is going to be nothing like that." Harry's eyes narrowed in determination. "Stinging hexes to the eyes, slashing hexes to the calves, try and disarm them, don't let them grab you." Harry was completely different than he had been twenty minutes ago. He wasn't shy or awkward and didn't look like a teenager. This Harry was determined and powerful.

Raising his wand, Harry strode down the High Street with Draco. Everyone seemed to shift with Harry, carving a path through the fight that they barely noticed towards the looming trolls.

Draco was the first to cast a spell: black magic arched out of his wand, hissing through the air, and hit his troll just above the knee, causing green blood to spew out over the High Street, covering a wolf in the goo. Draco's eyes grew wide as the thick troll-hide seemed to knit back together repairing the wound. The troll lumbered around to face them as they walked up the street, apparently mildly annoyed by the cut. Harry and Draco fell into a neat rhythm of firing spells and distracting the stupid trolls with bits of rubble coming from different directions. They were less than ten meters from the now-angry trolls, and neither Harry nor Draco had managed to find a curse that affected them.

Draco growled in frustration. It was an odd sound, Harry thought, coming from the usually well put together boy. Harry heard a pop beside him and turned to find Draco gone.

From the top of the Madam Puddifoot's he heard a shout, "Expulso!" The spell soared from the better vantage point and hit one troll squarely in the right eye, causing it to explode. The troll let out a loud, low yell of pain and dropped its club, as it clutched the gaping hole where his eye used to be.

Draco grinned a sadistic grin from atop of the tearoom, and turned on the spot again, appearing next to Harry. Harry turned and grinned as the boy reappeared. He followed up Draco's curse with one of his own, which split the troll along the stomach, causing his bowls to spill out onto the street. A further curse cut the arteries in his calf, causing the troll to collapse to his knees. Draco finished the troll with a reducto snapping the trolls neck backwards, killing it.

They had very little time to celebrate this victory as, while they were dealing with this troll, they had forgotten about the other one. It had gotten too close and, just after Draco had finished off its partner, it swiped him up into its free hand. Draco let out a yell as he was lifted off the floor raised high into the air.

"DRACO!" Harry shouted. Harry raised his wand to send a slashing curse, when he realised that he might hit Draco. He was outmatched and had very little time before the Troll would crush Draco in his hand. This wasn't like the troll in the girls' bathroom. The troll wouldn't attempt to beat Draco with his club. He would simply squeeze; it wouldn't even take much and Draco's ribs would splinter and break, piercing his lungs. Draco would have the breath crushed out of him.

"Hermione!" Harry called to her. She had just finished dispatching a werewolf that had killed an Order member, and turned to Harry. As she saw the Troll with Draco in its hands, her eyes widened. She was not the brightest witch of her age for nothing, however.

"PETRIFICUS!" She shouted. The purple spell hit the troll squarely on the forearm. The spell spread up the trolls arm, paralysing the muscles in his arm and hand. Although it did not release Draco from the troll's grasp, the troll could no longer tighten his grip, giving them precious time.

Hermione ran to Harry's side. Although the troll could no longer use it's right arm, it still had the club and use of its legs. Enraged by the spell, it began to move towards them swinging wildly with the club. Hermione and Harry leapt away from each other as the club came crashing down between them, smashing the pavement beneath their feet into pieces. From the floor, Harry raised his wand in the air as the club came crashing down upon him. A few feet before it hit Harry, it crashed into an invisible barrier. Sparks flew around them, and Harry growled at the effort it took to keep up the shield. From the other side of the street, Hermione sent spell after spell at the troll, but all they did was bounce off the troll's thick skin.

Hermione was not perturbed, however. As the troll hammered his club down again on Harry's sheild, she cried, "Colloshoo!" Sticky green ooze stuck the trolls feet to the ground, and with a resounding cry, she fired another blast from her wand, striking the troll in the stomach. Surprised, the trolls arms waved, almost comically, as it could not balance itself. As it fell backwards, she sent a spell which sprung Draco from its grip and Harry sent a cushioning charm to break his fall.

Breathing hard, she sent a final curse which killed the troll. Breathing heavily she ran to Harry and Draco, who had fallen a few feet from the former.

"Are you both okay?" She said, panting.

Draco got to his feet gracefully, while she helped Harry up.

"Thanks, Granger," Draco said earnestly to the young witch.

She smiled grimly. "Anytime. But not soon." Draco barked a humourless laugh.

Harry righted himself. He looked around to find the High Street mostly empty, except for dead bodies and rubble.

"Where is everyone?" He asked.

"The centaurs arrived while you were fighting the trolls; most of the wolves spread to different parts of the village. I was about to tell you that Aberforth wanted you in the Hogs Head." Hermione started walking that way, expecting him to follow.

The reached the Hogs Head minutes later, to find Dumbledore's brother and the centaur Magorian in conversation. Both turned to them as they entered.

"Potter," Aberforth said gruffly, "there's a problem." He gestured towards the centaur.

"What is it?" Harry asked urgently, turning towards the centaur.

"A woman was seen moving towards Hogwarts School, with three werewolves attached to her wand by magic. It seems as though they took Wolfsbane Potion and she is using them like guard-dogs." The centaur Magorian's deep voice was filled with distaste.

Harry's mind began to move at a mile a minute. "The woman, what did she look like?"

"Tall for a human, black hair, crazed eyes," the centaur replied.

Harry's eyes grew wide and so did the three others' in the room.

"You know this woman?" The centaur asked.

"Lestrange," Harry replied. Harry had no idea why she was here, but ideas were beginning to form in his head.

"She doesn't care about the children. She doesn't even know they're there. She wouldn't leave a battle unless Voldemort told her to. She's getting something from Hogwarts." Harry mused out loud.

"What could she want from Hogwarts?" Hermione asked to the room.

"Let's go find out. Where's your team?" He asked Hermione.

"Tonks took charge of them while I helped you with the troll."

"Let's go then. Magorian, care to join us?" Harry asked.

"Very well." The centaur left the bar, bending over to get out of the door.

Harry turned to Aberforth.

Aberforth said, "I'll go join the others. The werewolves are declining in numbers rapidly. We may actually win this," he muttered as he left through the back door.

Harry, Draco and Hermione followed the centaur.

* * *

><p>Minutes later, the four had passed through the Gatehouse and were halfway to Hogwarts. Up ahead they could see Bellatrix and the wolves. Harry knew they had to stop her before she got to Hogwarts and the children, so raised his wand to his throat.<p>

"Bellatrix," he called. She whirled around and began to cackle when she saw who was coming towards her. The wolves at her feet, which were as large as she was, growled and salivated at the new arrivals. They began to howl and bark in their direction, baring their teeth.

Her high, sing-song voice flew over the wind, "Potter, how sweet of you to arrange a family reunion. It's a shame we can't arrange one for you… or perhaps we can!" She laughed at her own joke.

"I'm in no need of a reunion, Bellatrix. My family may be dead, but they're still on my side and in my heart. The same cannot be said of yours." Bellatrix's laugh faded into a sneer.

"So it turns out that my family are weak. I am not." She raised her wand to cast a spell at Harry. In doing so, the bonds that kept the wolves tied to her broke and set them loose. Hermione, Draco and Magorian prepared themselves for the wolves attacked.

Harry met Bellatrix's spell with one of his own. The lightning spells clashed, black versus white.

Bellatrix met Harry's eyes in pleasured determination. "I was trained by the Dark Lord himself! You cannot beat me!"

Harry doubled the power he was putting into the spell. "He may have trained you… but I am his only equal!" He forced more power into the spell, pushing Bellatrix onto the defensive. "I was CHOSEN!" Harry, of course, did not believe in any of this. He didn't believe in fate, or being chosen. He merely understood Bellatrix. He knew this would anger her. Throw her off her game.

Bellatrix wasn't the Dark Lord's Black Hand for nothing, though. She whirled her wand, sending both her spell and Harry's careering in different directions, leaving them both unharmed, but fire dancing all around them.

She grinned again and sent several hexes towards Harry. He deflected them easily. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw his three comrades dispatch one of the wolves, but it seemed a long time before they would manage to deal with the other two. He was alone in this fight.

Harry raised his wand into the air. The fires that danced around them began to grow. As flames danced in his eyes, the fire grew around and perilously close to Bellatrix, her head whipping from side to side, trying to find a way out of the fire.

Eventually she raised her wand and floods of water rose around her. Harry growled as the fire was extinguished. He began to fire hexes at her, while she began to laugh and taunt him again.

"So how is dear, young Draco taking his Daddy's death?" She laughed a loud cackling squark. Then she saw Harry's face and stopped abruptly.

"You haven't told him, have you?" She laughed, this time full of mirth. "I'm going to have so much fun telling him before his long and slow death!" She seemed genuinely pleased about this.

Harry grew angry. The air grew still around them. It was an unnatural stillness, everything from leaves to the hair on Harry's head was held in the air by the natural magic. Harry's eyes swam with power and rage.

"You will not hurt him." His voice was a deathly whisper that made Bellatrix recoil. With that Harry cast his wand forward. The still air exploded forward, like a wind-tunnel, catching Bellatrix and flinging her into a tree.

Another twist of his wand, and vines crawled down from the tree, twisting her arms above her head holding her in place. She screamed and writhed, trying to get free.

Harry walked up to her. "Tell me why you are here."

"I'll never tell you anything!" She spat at him, and Harry just looked at the thick spit on his jumper, shaking his head.

"Fine. Legili-" He was cut off as someone screamed his name.

He turned around and the last werewolf had a hold of Magorian's flank with his teeth, Hermione and Draco couldn't get him off.

"Reducto!" He shouted, blasting the werewolf from Magorian's back. Harry quickly made his way towards them and crouched next to the centaur, inspected the wound and said to him, "We'll summon a healer in a moment, Magorian."

The werewolf began to rise again, and Harry sent silver spells from his wand, which the wolf dodged. Finally, Harry had had enough. Summoning silver from deep within the earth, he formed a cage around the wolf, trapping it. The cage seemed to form from shiny liquid that poured from the earth. The wolf screamed and howled at the sight of the pure silver. The cage was rudimentary, but it didn't need to look sturdy. The cage was more of a perimeter than designed to hold the wolf's strength. When the cage was complete. He sighed and his shoulders slumped, exhausted. The other two wolves were dead.

Harry turned back, ready to deal with Bellatrix, but found no-one. The vines hung limply from the tree, cut halfway up.

"Shit," he cursed to no-one in particular. Draco came to his side.

"She escaped?" Draco asked.

"Into the forest, and the centaurs don't have the time to find her." Harry said, his voice disappointed.

"We protected the children. Perhaps you can find out what they wanted when the wolf turns back?" Draco asked, curiously.

"I doubt it, but maybe." Harry replied. He turned to cast one last spell.

"Expecto Patronum!" The stag erupted from the end of his wand, did a small lap around them and then bowed in front of them.

"Find Aberforth Dumbledore. Give him this message. 'Send a centaur healer to the Gatehouse'."

The stag glowed brighter, as if receiving his orders boosted his powers. Then soared down the path and through the gatehouse towards the village. The sound of wolves was almost gone, the fight was almost over. Harry knew that he, Draco and Hermione didn't have the strength to rejoin the fight; Draco was still limping from nearly being crushed by a troll.

"Magorian," Harry said as he crouched down to the centaur. The centaur stirred slightly. "I need your permission to cast magic on you and move you to the gatehouse. Our healer will meet you there."

The centaur coughed, spitting up blood slightly. This worried Harry, it suggested that the centaur was now bleeding into his lungs. Harry didn't even know where the centaur's lungs were to help him.

"You are an odd… human, Harry… Potter. You ask… my permission… even though I… could do nothing… to stop you…" His speech was broken by clogged, shuddery, deep breaths. He brought a hand up to his face. "You may move me… Harry Potter. But first… there is something…"

"What is it?" Harry asked, wondering if there was something else wrong with the centaur.

"My son… If I should die… make sure… he is okay.. You are… a … friend… to centaurs… you must make…sure…he is okay…" Magorian gasped in pain. Hermione gasped in surprise and shared a look with Draco. It was unheard of to be named a friend of centaurs, only a friend of the forest.

"Magorian. You are not going to die on me. You will survive this and stand before your herd and name me a friend to centaurs, do you understand? It is my right!" Harry said through watery tears, trying to bolster the centaur. He was bleeding profusely now.

The centaur just laughed, coughing while he did. A centaur laughing was an oddly chilling experience for Harry.

"I'm going to paralyse most of your body, except your head so that we don't hurt anything else while we get to the Gatehouse, okay?"

"Very well…" he replied.

Harry tapped his wand lightly on the centaur's front leg. The paralysis crept through his body, slowly freezing the centaur in position. As soon as it reached his neck, Harry stopped the spell. Standing, he waved his wand and the centaur rose several feet into the air. Hermione and Draco joined in with their own levitation spells and they walked solemnly towards the Gatehouse. Once inside, the lowered him onto a cleared table. Hermione began to sterilise the room with spells.

A few moments later, Aberforth, Akim, and Ron entered the Gatehouse from the Hogsmeade entrance. Aberforth and Akim began examining Magorian at once. Ron went to Hermione who plastered a fake smile at seeing him okay, and hugged him.

Draco walked to Harry's side. "Are you okay?"

Harry didn't take his eyes off the centaur lying on the table. Akim's hands roamed the centaur's body, glowing with magic.

"I'm too young to raise a centaur," he said, chuckling darkly.

Draco laughed too. "You'd make a wonderful father to the foal," he replied, half truthfully and half jesting.

"As if I don't piss off the Wizarding World enough." Harry said.

"You would raise him though, wouldn't you?" Draco asked, already knowing the answer.

"Of course," Harry replied, equally sure of his answer.

"Do you feel guilty?" Draco asked.

"No. Everything I said to convince them to help us was true. Is true. I don't feel guilty, no. I'm angry, desperate and upset that it was necessary. But, no, not guilty." Harry turned towards Draco, seeking reassurance that his answer was the right one. Draco just reached out his hand and gave Harry's a squeeze.

"Do you want to come outside with me? I need some fresh air," Draco asked.

"I'm going to wait until I know if he'll be okay. I'll join you in a bit, and then we'll go debrief with Aberforth." Harry sighed, sinking into a chair.

Draco squeezed his hand one last time and left the Gatehouse.

A few minutes after he left, Hermione sat next to him and watched the old centaur work with Aberforth.

"I would have thought that Hagrid would have been here to help," Hermione said curiously.

"Aberforth's goats are attacked by foxes now and then. It's a larger scale, but the healing is pretty similar, I imagine." Harry looked towards her. "Hagrid's probably busy with the centaurs that were in Hogsmeade."

"True." Hermione watched the healing happening with a morbid fascination.

They sat for a few minutes, watching the old healers work. Harry began to get a niggling feeling. A feeling like he was both forgetting something and something was wrong. He looked around the room.

"Where's Ron?" he snapped.

"He went to find Ginny, apparently she snuck into the fight," Hermione replied.

"Draco went out for a walk!" he shouted, grabbing his wand. Hermione leapt from her seat, grabbed her wand and followed.

* * *

><p>Outside there was no sign of either Draco or Ron. They did hear shouting however. They both ran into the forest, following the shouts. They came to the empty centaur clearing, where Ron and Draco stood, facing each other with their wands pointed at each other. The clearing was scarred and trees were on fire. Draco had a gash in his trousers, and blood poured out of it. Ron had a similar wound above his eye.<p>

"What are you doing, Ron?" Harry asked, panting.

"Ginny's dead Harry. It's this traitors fault!" Ron shouted.

Hermione and Harry both drew in a massive breath. Ron wasn't a good occlumens, they knew he was telling the truth, at least about Ginny.

"Ginny didn't die because of anything Draco did, Ron," Hermione said, grief filling her voice.

"You! You never did listen to me, not about Malfoy or about any of this. I said that we should have taken the family and left! We can't win this war!" Ron's voice was filled with panic.

"Voldemort, Ron?! You thought that Voldemort was the answer to our problem?" She answered.

"You-know-who promised that we would all be safe. If we gave up Malfoy, we would all be safe! We can be safe!" Ron said, promise in his voice, attempting to convince Hermione of his point of view.

Harry sighed. "I've been searching for the reason. The reason that you would betray your friends and family. But you didn't. You made a deal with the devil himself." Harry finally understood. "What about me, Ron? Voldemort surely didn't promise that I would be safe."

Ron looked genuinely ashamed. "I'm sorry, Harry, but you've gone off the rails, mate. Accepting the ferret and fighting a war that you can't win. It's always been about you."

Harry looked dejected. He wasn't ashamed of or angry at Ron. Just disappointed. "Lower your wand, Ron. There's no way you can win this fight. Come back to the light."

"Ginny's dead, Harry! There's no way I can go back to Mum and Dad and explain why!" Ron shouted, tears fighting through the anger.

"What do you mean, why?" Even as Harry said it, he began to understand why. "You encouraged her to come tonight. You told her that we needed her."

Hermione looked confused. "Why, Ron, why would you bring her here?"

Ron looked at the floor. It was Harry who answered. "You thought that she would distract me. You thought that once I learned that she was here, I would run off and find her. You thought that I would leave Draco to protect her."

"That fucking witch wasn't supposed to be here! You weren't supposed to get distracted by Bellatrix. You were supposed to be in Hogsmeade when Ginny arrived."

"He didn't tell you about the trolls. And Voldemort didn't tell you Lestrange was coming," said Harry, resigned.

Hermione was nearly sobbing next to him. "My god, Ron," she gasped

"Hermione, it wasn't supposed to be like this, people weren't supposed to get hurt-"

"PEOPLE GOT HURT, RON! That's what happens in a war! And now Ginny is dead because of you!" Hermione screamed through her tears.

"I was trying to protect everyone! I was trying to protect us. Then Ginny got caught up in the battle, nothing was going right, and Harry disappeared. Dumbledore's brother told us that Harry and you had run off to find Bellatrix and Ginny was fighting wolves. She fought so hard," Ron spoke through sobs.

Draco hadn't lowered his wand throughout any of this. He felt for Ron, for the first time in his life. He knew how it felt to do terrible things to protect your family. For the first time, he understood the boy in front of him.

"She wasn't prepared for this, Ron! She wasn't prepared for any of this." Harry didn't know what else to say.

"She was supposed to have you! You were swanning around with the ferret, I thought it would get you back…" Ron trailed off.

"She, more than me, knew that I wasn't for her, Ron. She was the one that ended it, not me. She… she was so smart. So wilful."

No one moved for a while, wands raised.

"Are you going to kill me, Harry?" Ron asked, panic in his voice.

Harry's head shot up. "No! No, I couldn't even if I wanted to. You're my brother, Ron, my best friend. Come back to us."

"I can't. Not after what I've done."

"Where are you going to go?" Harry asked.

"I don't know. But I can't go back to Mum and Dad. They'll kill me if you won't," he was nearly crying again.

Harry was already in tears. Hermione was sobbing next to him. He couldn't bring himself to send Ron away. Even after everything, even if he sold them to Voldemort, even though Ginny was dead; he couldn't send Ron away.

"I'm so sorry. I love you, Hermione. Goodbye, Harry." With a crack, Ron was gone. Harry hadn't realised that they were beyond the wards.

Harry broke down. He and Hermione fell to their knees, crying. Draco knew that nothing he said would help. He held them both in his embrace until Akim entered the clearing nearly an hour later.

* * *

><p>[AN] Well that was longer and more distressing to write than I thought it would be. Hope you enjoyed it! Enjoyed it probably the wrong word


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